


It all comes tumbling down

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: dragon!Alec [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Changing a whole lot of things, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reveal, about time!, as we reach them, dragon!Alec, so check back in with each chapter!, treasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-05-13 00:00:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19239742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: When the Shadowhunters are working a case in Pandemonium one night, they come across a girl whose presence is going to change everything.The start of Shadowhunters TV canon, with quite a few twists.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, as I warned in the summary, things are going to be different in this story. Here we're starting canon time, but it's quickly going to go AU. Please, PLEASE, keep in mind in here that Alec isn't the normal Alec we know in the show. He's been in a steady relationship for months, and he's a dragon :P That's going to affect how he responds to things and what he says or does. I hope I do it justice, and I hope that it doesn't come off as too OOC, though I've had a complaint or two.
> 
> Let me know what you think of this! I don't know an update schedule yet, but I promise to do my best to update each weekend, if not sooner.
> 
> Unbeta'd still, haven't found one yet, so all mistakes are my own :P Sorry!

Alec fully had every intention of telling Magnus his secret one day. He’d meant it when he’d said that he would. He just – hadn’t expected it to take quite so long. Nor had he expected secrets to almost completely overtake the entirety of his relationship.

The two had been dating practically in secret for almost three months now. It wasn’t what Alec had intended. His siblings knew, of course. There was no way Alec was going to be able to keep this from them. Especially not his parabatai. Keeping Jace from noticing how much happier Alec was feeling lately would’ve been impossible. Keeping him from questioning it even more so. But somehow, the truth of who he was dating had just… never got around. Not even with as often as Magnus came to visit Alec in his office at work. Or how little Alec slept there anymore.

None of that had been Alec’s intention. Yes, he’d wanted to keep his parents from finding out, at least for a little while. Just until he knew how to deal with it. But he hadn’t set out with the plan to keep Magnus like some dirty little secret. Though, as unrest in the Downworld seemed to grow and rumors of began to spread of a group they’d all thought long gone, Alec couldn’t deny he sort of wanted to scoop Magnus up and hide him away in his hoard with the rest of the precious things Alec liked to keep. Not at the glamoured church where he’d first taken Jace – Alec had grown too big for that – but at his _new_ hoard,

Alec had spent most of his life harboring one secret or another. He just hadn’t planned on adding a few more.

Then things started to happen that took some of Alec’s secrets and shoved them out into the light, leaving him no choice but to stand tall under them, or to let them finally break him.

And it all started during a routine mission that ended up at Pandemonium…

* * *

It never failed to amuse Alec’s siblings just how uncomfortable he still was inside of clubs. It didn’t matter that he’d been in them plenty of times. He still hated the crowds, the noise, the _smell_. The only thing that really made them bearable was having Magnus with him. Which wasn’t possible right now. Not while they were working.

“Calm down, lover boy,” Jace teased him. “You’ll get to see Sparkles soon enough.”

Isabelle bumped her shoulder against Alec’s arm to get his attention. Then she used her chin to gesture across the room. “Though I’m pretty sure he’s already seen _you_.”

There was no way for Alec to keep himself from blushing when he looked over and found Magnus watching him. His boyfriend didn’t even try to hide the slow, heated look that he gave Alec, taking him in from head to toe with a gaze that felt like a caress. It had Alec wanting to shiver. For all that their relationship had progressed in a lot of ways, _that_ was one way that it _hadn’t_ , and Alec felt that lack distinctly in that moment. He knew what it felt like to have Magnus’ eyes on him. His _hands_. But Alec hadn’t been able to bring himself to take it any further. Not when he was worried what might show through while they did.

Another bump, this time from Jace, drew Alec’s focus back to them. “Drool over your boy later, Alec. Right now we’ve got work to do.”

Alec shot Jace a scowl and hoped the lights of the club hid the blush he was wearing. Judging by Jace’s grin, it didn’t.

He avoided looking over at Magnus again while he turned his attention back to the job. This mission was a good one, a mostly smart one, but now that he was focused back on it there was a bad feeling down in the pit of Alec’s stomach that he couldn’t quite get rid of. The same one that had been plaguing him since they left. They were following rumors of a demon peddling mundane blood. They hadn’t known that the demon was going to come here, hence _following_ him, and Alec knew he’d be giving his boyfriend an apology later for slipping into his club like this without warning.

Still, Alec followed after his siblings and tried to ignore how pleased Jace was feeling at the idea that he was about to go get to stab something.

Once Alec focused on the mission, things seemed to go mostly smooth – right up until the end. Right up until the end when that bad feeling proved right, and his fears of something going wrong came true in the shape of one tiny carrot-haired little mundane with the Sight. Not only did she _see_ them, she tried to help the demons and ended up making the fight bigger than it should’ve been, and then she actually held one of their seraph blades – what the hell, how had she made it light up?? – while Jace flung a demon at it.

Jace tried to speak to her afterward, a cocky grin already in place, but the girl was shoving away from him. “Stay away from me!” she snapped, fear and anger both clear in her voice.

Just as the girl began to run, clearly intending on getting far, far away from them, her exit was cut off by someone stepping through the curtain and right into her path, long arms easily catching her. The sight of him didn’t do anything to reassure her, but it had Alec relaxing a little.

“Woah there, biscuit,” Magnus said, smiling down at the girl who seemed to have frozen in his hold. “Let’s all take a deep breath and calm down.” There was a hint of magic to those words – burnt sugar in the air, a bit sweeter than normal – and Alec saw a brief flash of it swirl through Magnus’ eyes. Whatever he did had the girl going still.

He wasn’t the only one to notice, though Alec was a bit surprised by the amount of anger in Jace’s voice when he stepped forward and demanded “What did you just do to her?”

It was clear Magnus had done _something_. The girl slowly sank down into his embrace as if someone had just cut the strings holding her up. Magnus caught her easily against him. He bent down, one arm behind her back and the other going under her legs. But even as he did, Jace was there, and though Magnus raised his eyebrows at it he let Jace take her. “She’s fine,” Magnus reassured him. He helped get the girl up, adjusting her head so that it was resting against Jace’s shoulder, making it easier at the same time for Alec to see that her eyes were closed. Magnus confirmed why a second later. “I put her to sleep. She was panicking – rightfully so – and we don’t have time for that right now.”

That was enough to bring Alec to attention. He straightened up, eyes snapping from the girl to his partner, every inch of him on alert. “What’s going on?”

“I just chased two Circle members out of my club,” Magnus said bluntly. “I’m almost positive I know what they were here for, and part of it is that girl right there. I don’t have time to explain anymore. Not if I want to make sure everyone is safe.” That said, he turned toward Alec, who had come with Isabelle to stand beside them. It was Alec that he directed his next words to. “I’ll take care of the demon bodies. If you wouldn’t mind, I need you to get everyone home for me and make sure you all stay there safely until I can get back. The wards are up tight around the loft, so no one will get in. I’ve got a few calls to make, and I think it’s officially time to get the warlocks over to the Lair.”

Alec’s worry only grew stronger. The Lair was something Magnus had been talking about lately. A secure, hidden place for warlocks to gather. Magnus had started preparing it weeks ago when rumors of missing warlocks from other areas reached him, and whispers began to spread through the Downworld about Valentine. He hadn’t talked much to Alec about it, promising only that he would if it became necessary.

As if reading his mind, Magnus smiled, and then he leaned in and kissed Alec. “I’ll explain everything once I’m sure that everyone is safe. That includes you, darling.”

The idea of walking off and leaving Magnus alone to deal with trouble wasn’t one that Alec enjoyed. Nor was he afraid to admit that. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you here.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I never said you couldn’t. You’re more than capable of handling yourself. That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like leaving you here alone any more than you’d like leaving _me_ alone.”

The smile that lit up Magnus’ face was warm and bright in a way Alec still wasn’t used to having directed at him. He had a feeling he’d never quite get used to the way that Magnus looked at him like he was some sort of precious gift.

At the same time his scent shifted, getting just a spicier, like the warm scent of mulled wine in winter, and Alec drew in a breath, soaking it in. It was easier when Magnus pushed up for another kiss. “For a man who claims he’s not good with words, you always seem to have the right ones,” Magnus murmured against his lips. He drew back and curved one hand over Alec’s cheek to hold him in place. “Much as I want you with me, I need you to keep the others safe. I need you to keep Clary safe until I can get there to give you explanations. There’s no one else I’d trust with that right now, Alexander.”

“It better be a good explanation,” Alec said, just as low.

This time, Magnus’ smile was edged with something sad, and his scent was something like… burnt cookies. Those ones that Magnus liked to make, that he wasn’t the best at. Snicker-something-or-other.

He didn’t say anything, just gave Alec one last, soft kiss, and then he was stepping away and lifting his hands to make the portal.

Though it went against the grain, Alec took hold of his siblings and, with one last look at Magnus, he led them through the portal and into Magnus’ loft.

The portal closed behind them just seconds later. Alec felt the strength of the wards that were up around them like a security blanket. Only a small part of him relaxed in that knowledge. His brother and sister were here, safe from whatever it was that was going on, but Magnus was still out there. Alone. There was no one there to watch his back while he was busy watching out for everyone else.

Alec didn’t like it, but he had to have faith in Magnus. Trust that he knew what he was doing. For now, he’d asked Alec to take care of the people here, and that was what he was going to do. Starting with the girl his brother was carrying.

“The guest room’s over this way,” Alec said, gesturing with one hand for Jace to follow him. “I don’t know how long she’ll be out. Knowing Magnus, it’ll probably be until he’s back here to wake her up. We might as well make her comfortable while we wait.”

They got the girl laying down in the bed, with Jace fussing over her far more than Alec thought necessary considering she wasn’t even awake for any of it.

Up until now Alec hadn’t been too close to her. He’d mostly kept back out of the way while Magnus dealt with her and then Jace carried her. But now that he was in a small room with her, something caught his attention that he hadn’t noticed before. It was enough to have him going completely still beside her bed. He didn’t notice Isabelle turning to look at him, or how she smacked Jace’s arm and gestured to Alec. All he was focused on was leaning in and taking a deep, more careful sniff of this new girl.

Pushing past the scents of turpentine and graphite, with a little bit of charcoal, he got to her natural scent underneath. Oranges, something floral, and – holy water. A strong, _strong_ scent of _holy water._ It was a scent that Alec was never quite able to explain. One that he associated with the basins of holy water in churches. One that was like… fresh air, clean rain, and something so much more _pure_.

The scent of angels.

Every nephilim had it to some degree or another. It depended on how strong the angel blood was in their family line. Jace had a strong scent of it; more than Isabelle did. Almost as strong as this strange girl lying on the bed. Only, there was no glamour on her, no magic, and yet not a single rune in sight. _What the hell is going on here?_

A hand on Alec’s arm drew him out of his thoughts. He found Isabelle at his side, gesturing with her head toward the door where Jace was waiting, his face a storm cloud.

Jace at least waited until they were away from there before he cornered Alec out in the living room and got right up in his face to practically _growl_ at him. “What the hell is going on here, Alec?”

The growl Alec let out in response was instinctive. This was Magnus’ home – part of Alec’s territory – and he wasn’t going to let anyone, not even Jace, come at him this way. Especially not right now while they were all on high alert. “Back off, Jace. You know as much as I do.”

“Your boyfriend just knocked her out and sent us here without any explanation at all. Then there’s whatever the hell _that_ was back there.”

“Woah, woah.” Isabelle pushed her way between them, a palm flat on both their chests to nudge them backward. She’d never been afraid to get in the middle of them when they argued. Not even knowing what Alec was capable of. It was one of the things that drove Alec crazy and yet he loved the most about her. “Why don’t you two just calm down the testosterone for a minute, huh? Whatever’s going on, I’m sure Magnus will be back to tell us about it as soon as he can.”

“What’re we supposed to do, just sit here and twiddle our thumbs till he gets back?” Jace demanded.

It was on the tip of Alec’s tongue to tell them what he’d just smelled on the girl and get their opinions on what that might mean. Because at the moment Alec’s mind was spinning with all the different implications of there being a Shadowhunter without any runes – one who Magnus had seemed to recognize – knocked out and lying in Magnus’ bedroom. There were too many different possibilities here and each one was more outrageous than the last. None of them were _good_ , either.

One look at Jace, though, and Alec knew he wasn’t going to share this. Not yet. For some reason Jace was acting like he was already attached to the girl despite barely having even known her for ten whole minutes. If Alec said that she was a Shadowhunter, there was no telling what Jace might do, or what he might blurt out to Magnus, and then Alec was going to have to come up with some way to explain to his boyfriend how he knew.

“Izzy’s right,” Alec said, breaking the silence. “We need to calm down. Whatever this is, it’s big, and it’s bad. Magnus wouldn’t just send us here for no reason. All we _can_ do is wait for him to get back and explain it.” Lifting one hand, Alec gestured vaguely at the walls. “With the wards up, there’s no way we’d get out anyway. Not without causing some serious damage I’m not willing to do.”

There really _wasn’t_ anything that they could do except wait for Magnus to get back. Alec could understand that neither Jace nor Isabelle were happy about it. _He_ wasn’t happy about it. But ranting wasn’t going to get them anything.

For the moment, Alec dealt with what he _could_. He went to the kitchen and set about making a pot of coffee and getting together the things needed for the tea Magnus liked to have when he was tired, or when he’d been doing a lot of magic. It sounded like that was going to be the case tonight. As Alec set all that together, he took out his phone and sifted through the messages waiting there for him, all little things that he needed to take care of for the Institute. Reports from other missions that were happening tonight, an email from the Clave that had Alec grimacing a little, plus other little tasks that he normally would’ve been taking care of if he hadn’t gone out tonight.

Though Alec was currently just an ‘Acting Head’ in charge while his parents were temporarily stationed in Idris, the truth of the matter was that he’d been running things behind the scenes for years now. The goal was to officially be in charge with his next birthday. It was something his parents both tried to encourage and discourage depending on their mood. They’d always wanted Alec to take over, being their firstborn and all, but as Maryse had put it once his _species_ sort of put a damper in those plans. Especially what it would mean if he were to ever try and marry. As Valentine had proved when injecting Maryse, dragon blood was powerful, and they could only assume his genetics would be even more so. There was no chance of any child of his _not_ being a dragon.

Not that he’d ever plan on having one. The last thing Alec wanted was to marry a woman. Even before he’d met Magnus. While he’d always known that liking boys wasn’t considered _okay_ in the eyes of everyone around him, it didn’t mean that he’d planned on marrying some poor woman and trying to fake a life with her. He’d just figured he’d be single.

“You look awfully cozy here.”

Alec looked up at the sound of his sister’s voice. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest, shoulder propped up against the doorframe. The pose effortlessly sensual in a way that made Alec smile at her. Isabelle was just so naturally graceful, beautiful, and perfectly sensual – not _sexual_ , like everyone seemed to think, but _sensual_. That word had always seemed to suit her. Smooth and flowing, like silk, it was the perfect description in Alec’s eyes for his sister.

Her question took a second to register for him. When it did, he flushed just a little. Then he shrugged. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how often he spent his time here. “It’s not like it’s my first time here.”

“You’re scent-marking. You don’t even do that at home.”

Alec drew his hand back from where he’d been trailing it along the edge of the wall by the fridge. This time he had to duck his head down into the fridge to hide his flush. He _had_ been scent-marking Magnus’ home little by little. He liked how their scents mingled together.

The delighted laugh Isabelle let out told him he hadn’t hid his blush nearly as much as he’d hoped.

When Alec straightened back up, he found Isabelle moving toward him. She came up to his side, stepping into the space created when Alec instinctively lifted his arm to let her burrow in to his side. Her arms came around his waist in a warm hug. “I’m happy to see you this happy, big brother.”

There wasn’t anything Alec could think of to say to that. Not without sounding sappier than he wanted to. So he settled for pressing a kiss against her hair.

Isabelle stayed at his side as Alec finished gathering the coffee and getting the tea into a kettle to stay warm. He knew Magnus had enchanted the little kettle so that it would keep the tea warm no matter how long things too. With all that together, he and Isabelle carried both out to the living room and set them up on the coffee table.

They found Jace standing near the window just about radiating restless energy. He wasn’t handling the wait. Then again, he’d never been the type to just sit around and do nothing when things needed done.

“Come have some coffee, Jace,” Isabelle called out, drawing him over to them. She must’ve seen the protest on his face when he turned around because she immediately spoke up. “Uh-uh, don’t even start with me! Fighting isn’t going to do anything but make the wait even longer. Just, come sit down, drink some coffee, and calm down.”

Jace was halfway to the couch when Alec’s head snapped up. He felt the magic reaching in past Magnus’ wards. One of Alec’s hands went toward the bow he’d set down beside the couch while the rest of him braced, just in case. From the corner of his eye he watched his siblings do the same thing. Seconds later Alec relaxed, recognizing the feel of that magic as the portal started to open. Drawing his hand up from his bow, he waved his siblings off, his focus staying on the people who came through.

The first person through was a woman that Alec didn’t recognize, though he had a pretty good guess who she was, judging by the hair and the facial features. Instantly on her heels was another woman, this one completely unfamiliar, and then Magnus.

“Where’s Clary?” the red-haired woman asked almost instantly. Her eyes were darting around the room in a clear search. “Where’s my daughter?”

The portal closed behind Magus as he stepped up to the woman’s side and patted at her arm. “Take a deep breath, Jocelyn. I can feel her – she’s down in the guestroom. Why don’t you and Dot go down and wake her up so you can see for yourselves? I’m sure she’d rather see you before she sees me right now.”

The two women – Jocelyn and Dot, it would seem – took off together down the hall. The fact that they knew where the guestroom was, or at least Dot did since she was leading the way, was something that Alec raised an eyebrow at. He didn’t even have to voice the question, though. Magnus must’ve been able to see it on his face. A smile touched his lips, growing as he made his way over to Alec, barely having even stopped when reassuring the two women.

“Nothing you need to worry about, darling.” Magnus made for Alec next, stretching up to give him a quick kiss when he got close. Then he smiled at patted Alec’s cheek. “Dot’s a very old friend of mine, and she’s stayed with me once or twice before.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Alec lied.

Luckily, Magnus seemed more amused than offended, and he stroked his fingers over Alec’s cheek one last time. Then he lowered his hand down to catch Alec’s jacket, using that grip to tug and draw Alec down to the couch with him. Normally they curled up together in some way or another, but with company here, Magnus kept it pretty contained. He sat so that they were pressed together but didn’t melt down into him the way he usually would’ve. Once he was seated he seemed to catch sight of the teapot and carafe sitting on the coffee table. “Oh, Alexander, you’re an absolute treasure.”

Alec smiled even as he blushed a bit at having his siblings here to hear that. “I thought you might need it.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong. I’m somehow simultaneously awake and exhausted all at the same time.” Magnus leaned forward, manually preparing himself a cup of the tea instead of using his magic to do it, something he was known for when cuddling with Alec and too lazy to move. He also reached for the coffee cups and carafe and prepared a cup of coffee for Alec – sweet, just the way he liked it when he was alone here with Magnus, who never judged his sweet tooth.

Their little moment of domesticity was broken by Jace, who was clearly done waiting around for an explanation. “Magnus, what the hell is going on here?”

Magnus let out a soft sigh that Alec had a feeling the others couldn’t hear. He handed Alec back his mug, and then picked up his own before sitting back. “It’s a bit of a long story, and I can only tell you some right now. The rest of it needs to wait for the ladies to join us.”

“What _can_ you tell us?” Isabelle asked. She’d prepared her own cup of coffee and was sitting on the loveseat now. With a bit of tugging, she got Jace to sit down with her.

There was a thin thread of stress working its way through Magnus’ scent. Alec didn’t like having it there. He pushed his leg over, nudging against Magnus’, and was rewarded by Magnus pushing back. That small contact worked to steady the both of them. Magnus flashed Alec a brief look of gratitude. “Sadly, not much. Not yet. Jocelyn and I didn’t get the chance to discuss things before I had Dot portal her to me. I was more focused on getting my warlocks into hiding. But I assure you, as soon as they come out, we’ll all be discussing this.”

“Did everyone make it safely there?” Alec asked.

That question had Magnus turning toward him. He seemed pleased that Alec had taken the time to ask about the other warlocks. To check in on them. Smiling, he patted Alec’s leg. “They did, yes. I’ll have to go over later and make sure that the wards stay tight, but they should be perfectly safe for the next few hours. Catarina’s there, so I know she’ll contact me if anything looks amiss.”

Their conversation was broken by the snap of a door and the sharp echo of footsteps. Then the girl, Clary, was storming into the room, her expression somewhere between stunned and angry. She made a beeline straight for the door, her mother on her heels, and Dot following after. “Clary, just wait…!”

“I’m going to find Simon!” Clary called out over her shoulder. Though they couldn’t see the door from where they were, Alec heard as she tried to open it, and he felt the wards that were keeping it shut. A moment later Clary was demanding “Someone let me out of here!”

“Clary, you need to listen to me. Just come sit down, please, and listen.” Jocelyn’s voice went softer; low enough that Alec doubted his siblings could hear it. “I know this is a lot to take in, sweetheart, but it’s… it’s time you learned the truth. Please. Just, come sit down and let me explain.”

Alec deliberately tuned them out for a moment to give them a semblance of privacy. He focused instead on drinking some of the coffee that Magnus had handed him. The brush of arm against arm had him looking over at Magnus, only to find that his partner was already watching him, his real eyes showing for just a blink. It was one of those looks that made Alec feel more loved than anything ever had before. Even without the words, he felt it, and he hoped sometimes that Magnus could feel it from him, too. That it would matter later, when the truth finally came out.

Soft footsteps warned them all as Jocelyn, Clary, and Dot finally came to join them. Alec watched as the three women came in. Clary was tucked down under Jocelyn’s arm, with Dot a silent support on Clary’s other side. They made for the open couch, which would allow them to sit together. But Clary caught sight of the rest of them before she sat down, and her eyes went wide. “You guys!”

Because Jace was a bit of an asshole, he grinned at her and waved. “Hey there.”

His grin didn’t help Clary keep calm at all. She drew back against her mother, fear clear in her scent, yet she wasn’t hesitating to glare at Isabelle and Jace, and even over at Alec. “You three, I saw you! You killed those people! And _you_!” Her glare deepened when it landed on Magnus. “ _You_ did something to me!”

Magnus didn’t bother denying it. He sipped off his tea and let his body slouch just a bit more. It was his _High Warlock persona_. Colder, just a bit aloof, and somewhat amused by the world around him. “Just a little sleep spell, that’s all. I didn’t need you running through my club screaming about murder.”

“Besides, it wasn’t like they were actually people, just demons,” Jace chimed in, shrugging. Isabelle slapped his arm and glared at him to shut his mouth.

“ _Demons_?”

Jocelyn and Dot both drew Clary back a little so that she was more securely pressed between them on the couch. “Calm down, Clary, please. I know it’s confusing, but I promise, I’m going to explain everything.” She cast a glance over toward Magnus. “Though, I’d prefer to do it in private.”

There must’ve been some part of a conversation that the rest of them had missed. Jocelyn clearly wasn’t happy explaining things out here, and just as clearly, Magnus didn’t care. He met her look with a smirk. “I told you, she’s old enough to know the truth, and I’m not lying to my partner.”

“The time for hiding is passed,” Dot said, speaking up for the first time. She had a hand curled over Clary’s shoulder, but her eyes were on Jocelyn. “If they’re surfacing, you know what it means. We can’t keep hiding her on our own. If you want to protect her, _this_ is the best way to do it, Joc.”

Though Jocelyn was still clearly unhappy with this, she nodded her head. “It’s a long story.” Then she paused, looking over at her daughter and clearly hesitating.

Alec put up with it for a moment. When it was clear Jocelyn had no idea how to start this, he decided to give them a nudge. Otherwise who knew how long they’d be sitting there waiting. “I’m assuming this has something to do with the fact that the little girl’s a Shadowhunter?”

Multiple sets of eyes shot over to Alec. Even Magnus turned to look up at him. But it was Jocelyn who looked the most surprised. “How did you know?”

Alec arched one eyebrow at her in a clear _are you serious_ look. “Not only was she able to see us back in Pandemonium, even though we were glamoured, the seraph blade lit up when she touched it. That doesn’t work if you’re only a mundane.”

“What the hell is a Shadowhunter?” Clary demanded.

“I was trying to tell you earlier,” Jocelyn said, turning back to her daughter. “When I gave you that family heirloom. The stele. I wanted to tell you who you are. _What_ you are. It’s… I’ve been hiding it from you for so long, and I’m sorry, Clary. But it’s time you learned the truth…”


	2. Chapter 2

The cool night air felt good against Alec’s skin. He stood out on the balcony of Magnus’ loft while the others were still talking inside. They’d all split off into groups, each one of them needing to process what they’d just learned in their own way. While Jace and Clary had gone up to the roof, with Isabelle following a few minutes later, Dot, Jocelyn, and Magnus had all put their heads together, talking about what had been done in the past and what should be done in the future.

That left Alec to slip away by himself out to one of his favorite places in Magnus’ loft. He knew Magnus had noticed him going. Just as he knew his partner would respect Alec’s need to process all of this alone for a few minutes.

This hadn’t been just Jocelyn’s story to tell. She’d done it with the help of Dot, the warlock who’d gone through much of the aftermath with her, and from Magnus, who’d been brought in later on in life. None of them had held anything back. _Anything_. They’d told the whole of it to Clary, and to the others, from what Shadowhunters were to who Jocelyn really was, _why_ she was in hiding, and the truth about who Clary’s father really was.

That had been the moment that everything became _too much_ for Clary. She’d already learned that her whole life was a lie, that her mother had been keeping something huge from them. But to learn that her father was really a mass murderer?

Alec sighed as he leaned his hip against the wall. He half sat, body twisting as he did to look out over the city. The view was different than what he was used to. Magnus had moved the loft recently in an effort to try and hide from Valentine.

Valentine.

Just thinking that name was enough to make Alec’s stomach twist. For most of their lives, Valentine had been a ghost of past horrors. A monster under the bed who was long gone. Alec had dreamed of him as a child. Knowing that Valentine had been behind changing him, making him like _this_ , Alec had been terrified of even the idea of the man. In his dreams, Valentine had taken the shape of a monster who would come to rip him away from his family. Who would take him and do more experiments on him.

Now it seemed like those fears had a possibility of coming true. They’d all thought Valentine dead. The Circle disbanded. Now, warlocks were going missing, the whispers about Valentine were turning into shouts, Circle members were showing their faces, Valentine’s _wife and daughter_ had surfaced, and to top it all off, Valentine’s wife had the _Mortal Cup_.

Alec knew he should be thinking about the greater implications of all this. Right then he should be planning on what he was going to say to the Clave when they finally got back to the Institute. They needed some sort of plan in place before they took Jocelyn and Clary anywhere near there – and they were definitely taking the two in. Even Magnus and Dot had been behind Alec on that point. Hiding out here had been all well and good, but they needed somewhere safe to go now that they’d been found. If they tried to run and hide again, they’d only be putting Dot, Magnus, and any other Downworlder that helped them at risk. The Institute was their best chance for safety.

So, Alec should’ve been planning how best to go about this. How to keep these two women safe not only from Valentine but from whatever reaction the Clave was going to have to this. How to protect his Institute and everyone in it from the threat that was just revealed.

Instead, he sat out here in the dark, alone, trying to battle back the nightmares of his childhood.

It was no surprise when the door opened. What was surprising was that it wasn’t Magnus that Alec found when he turned around. It was Isabelle.

His sister was watching him with sad eyes. She, better than anyone else here, knew what he was likely going through. “Alec.” That was all she said; all she needed to say, really. In just that one word was enough emotion to let him know how worried she was for him, how much she loved him. Alec held his arm up and let Isabelle come right up to his side and burrow in. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. “We won’t let him get his hands on you.”

“I’m not the one we should be worrying about right now,” Alec pointed out.

Isabelle’s head snapped up, a bright, fierce glare already on her face. “You are _absolutely_ the one I’m going to worry about. Clary and Jocelyn have an entire group of people to protect them. You have Jace and I. We’re the only ones who know and care about what this might mean for you.”

“We don’t even know if he’ll remember or make the connection between that pregnancy and me. Even if he does, for all we know he might take one look at me and assume he failed.”

“Or he might try and take you and test that out,” Isabelle shot back. She lifted her hands up so that she could cup Alec’s face between her palms. Then she held him there, forcing him to meet her eyes. For all that Alec’s nature made him both protective and possessive, it seemed to be a trait that he still shared with his sister. There was a fierce promise written all over her that was echoed in her words. “I won’t let him have you.”

A small smiled softened Alec’s face. He gave Isabelle a tug, getting her to let go of his face so that he could pull her in close, burying his face against her hair. “How could anything get me when I’ve got such a fierce protector ready to kick its ass?”

“Damn straight,” Isabelle mumbled against his chest. Her arms slipped around his waist once more. She clung to him for her comfort as much as for his. There, buried against him, she let herself slump a little. “You need to tell Magnus. He needs to know the danger you’re in.”

She wasn’t wrong. Alec had been thinking the same thing. He’d wanted to tell Magnus for so long now anyway. But… he was afraid. Hell, he was more afraid of telling Magnus and losing him than he was of Valentine’s return. That said a lot for Alec’s priorities. He just, he knew he couldn’t lose Magnus. He _couldn’t_. But he also couldn’t keep lying. “I’ll tell him. Just… just not tonight.”

“Do you want me to be there with you?”

Alec found a smile tugging at his lips once more. “I think I can handle talking to my own boyfriend, thanks.”

That talk was going to have to wait, though. As much as part of Alec wanted to stay here at the loft and talk to Magnus, get the truth right out there in the open, the rest of him knew that there were more important things to worry about right now than himself and his own wants. They needed to get Clary and Jocelyn to the Institute. Somehow, Alec had to come up with a plan between here and there that would keep these two, his family, and his Institute safe. Alec wasn’t sure _how_ yet. Just that it needed to be done.

When Alec and Isabelle made their way back inside, still holding on to one another, they found Magnus, Dot, and Jocelyn all drinking coffee at the kitchen table. The trio looked up at their entrance. Though Magnus had a knowing look on his face, it was Jocelyn who said: “It’s time to go.”

The words were phrased more like a statement than a question, yet Alec nodded anyway. “The longer we’re out here, the more we put the people close to us at risk. We need to get you back to the Institute and under its protection.”

“We’ve got some of the best wards out there,” Isabelle said, throwing a grin Magnus’ way.

Magnus took the compliment with a smile and a dip of his head. But most of his focus was on Alec. He rose up from his chair to walk over to Alec, stepping in easily when Isabelle moved away to make room for him. One arm slipped around Alec’s waist while his other hand came up to cup the side of Alec’s neck. It was one of his favorite holds, and one of Alec’s too. “While you deal with this, I need to go see to my people. Make sure they’re as safe and secure as I can make them.”

“I know.” Alec tried to ignore the curious eyes that were watching them. He turned just a little, enough to be able to lean into Magnus’ embrace and away from their audience. “I think we’re both going to be busy for a little while. If we’re lucky, maybe once word gets out about Jocelyn and Clary being with us, Valentine might let up on his hunt for warlocks.” It made a cruel sort of sense that so many warlocks had gone missing in what was most likely an effort to find the one that would’ve helped hide Jocelyn or the Cup from him.

Smiling, Magnus stretched up to press a soft kiss against Alec’s lips. “Let us hope so, darling.”

The two broke apart, and for a moment, Alec found himself captivated as he stared down at Magnus, watching the glamour slip away. They were angled so that no one else would be able to see it. No one would glimpse Magnus’ true eyes. This was just for Alec. Seeing it, seeing the truth of his partner laid bare, reminded Alec of his own secrets. Of the realization that he and Isabelle had come to together. Remembering that was enough to have Alec tensing all over again.

“Magnus…” Hesitation crossed Alec’s face. He pressed his lips together for a moment as he tried to gather courage. To find the words he needed.

A little furrow appeared on Magnus’ brow. “What is it?”

 _You can do this. You NEED to do this_. Alec gripped tight to that reminder and made himself meet his partner’s eyes. “When we get a chance, we need to talk. Nothing bad!” He tacked that last bit on quickly when he smelt the shift in Magnus’ mood; the immediate panic. “It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think so? I mean, I don’t mean it to be. I just…” A huff slipped out. This was ridiculous! Closing his eyes, Alec drew in a deep breath. “You remember that, that thing I told you once? That I wanted to tell you but I just, I wasn’t ready yet? I’m… I’m ready now.”

The panic had mostly faded from Magnus’ scent. Only it was replaced with the sharp tang of worry. “Are you sure?”

Alec opened his eyes and nodded. He had to be sure. Isabelle was right – Magnus needed to know. Especially with all this going on. Alec had already wanted to tell him; now, he had the perfect excuse.

To his immense gratitude, Magnus didn’t question him. He just nodded right back. Then he shifted and kissed Alec again, this time long and slow. A promise. “Be safe,” he whispered as they pulled back.

Alec tipped his head just enough to brush their noses together. “You too.”

The two didn’t share anything else. For now, that was all they had the time for, and all that was really needed. With one final kiss, the two broke apart, both of them straightening up and pulling on their personas, the mantle of leadership that they were going to need to get them through this. When Alec turned to face Jocelyn once more, it wasn’t as Alexander, Magnus’ partner, or even as Alec, Isabelle’s brother. It was as Alec Lightwood, Acting Head. “Isabelle, go get Jace and Clary, would you? If we’re going to do this, we need to get it done now, before anything else happens tonight.”

It was time to go and be a leader. Later, there’d be time enough for them to come together, and for Alec to tell the secret that had been eating at him these past months. Alec just hoped that when all was said and done, he’d be able to come back here and find the same comfort he’d come to rely on these past months.

* * *

If Alec had hoped that his night was going to get any easier, he was quickly proved wrong.

With Jocelyn’s permission and a tentative plan, the very first thing Alec did when they got back that night was to go to his office and make his official report. Jocelyn stayed with him, while Jace and Isabelle took care of getting Clary settled into a room. She was there with him when he sent off his fire message to the Inquisitor, and when he got the almost immediate response to warn that she was on her way.

“Thank you,” Jocelyn said as they waited. She was standing near the fireplace, arms wrapped around herself like she still wasn’t managing to get warm. Her eyes didn’t leave the fire as she spoke to him. “I know you’ve been sort of tossed into the middle of my mess, and I’m sorry about that. But thank you for doing this for us.”

Alec leaned back so that he was mostly sitting on his desk. He’d just finished sending off a few more fire messages to some important people, both in the Clave and out, trying to do his best to get a head start on all of this. With those done, all he could do now was wait.

At Jocelyn’s thanks, he shrugged. “I’m not doing it for you.”

Her lips twitched ever so slightly. “I know.” Finally looking away from the fire, she cast a look Alec’s way that he couldn’t quite decipher. There was a hint of humor to it, though, that showed in her voice when she spoke again. “I won’t tell them about your involvement with Magnus.”

“I’m not ashamed of him,” Alec said automatically.

“I didn’t think you were.”

“We aren’t advertising it, but we aren’t hiding it, either. If it comes up, I won’t lie to the Clave about my relationship.” That was something that Alec had come to terms with. Even though he knew Magnus might not like it, that he was willing to keep quiet for a while, the longer they were together the less that idea appealed to Alec. He didn’t _want_ to have to keep quiet about him and Magnus. While he wasn’t going to shove it in anyone’s face, he wasn’t going to lie and hide what he had with Magnus. Not when he had no reason to be ashamed. He’d worked hard to get to this place in his life. Fear of how people might react – how his parents might react – still sat inside of him, but Alec wasn’t going to let it rule him.

“You two look good together,” Jocelyn said, breaking through Alec’s thoughts. He looked up to find that she was smiling at him. “You both look happy.”

Some of Alec’s stern look faded away. There was the slightest hint of a smile to his lips; just a ghost compared to the ones that Jocelyn had seen him show around Magnus. Here, Alec was muted, hidden behind walls that protected the softer parts of him she’d glimpsed in Magnus’ loft. What she’d seen there was a rare peek to the person he was inside. The one underneath the Shadowhunter.

As a knock sounded on the office door just seconds before it opened, the masks slipped seamlessly back into place, leaving behind the dutiful soldier. Alec stood tall, hands clasped behind his back, as Imogen Herondale walked into his office, this masks just as strong as hers. It was time to put their plans into play. Everything else could be figured out later. For now, Alec had to be the Institute Head he’d been trained to be.

* * *

It took the rest of the night and part of the morning for Jocelyn, Imogen, and Alec to wrap up their meeting in a way that was acceptable to all three of them. When Jocelyn finally left, granted a brief moment to go and say goodbye to her daughter before going to Idris for questioning, Imogen turned to Alec and watched him with a look that seemed to almost sit between suspicion and _admiration_. The Inquisitor had long been someone that Alec carried a healthy dose of fear towards. She had the ability to destroy his life with just a few simple words. Yet he’d just gone toe to toe with her, and even though he’d been afraid, he’d still managed to do it.

“This is going to be quite a feather in your cap, Mr. Lightwood,” Imogen said finally, watching his face as she did. “The return of a lost Shadowhunter and her daughter, and the Mortal Cup.”

Alec dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I was just doing what was best for our people, ma’am.”

“You have. And you’ve brought a bit of honor to your family name.”

No matter how much Alec wanted to deny it, he straightened up a little bit more at that, pride running through him. While he might not really understand why it was that everyone seemed to put so much importance on family names, he _did_ get having honor. As he’d heard his father say in the past: “The honor is in the deed.” Alec had always tried to hold himself true to those words. Even if what he considered honorable deeds didn’t always match up with what others thought.

Imogen tilted her head a little while she continued to study him. He wasn’t quite prepared for her next words. “For one so young, you run an admirable Institute. Your parents trained you well. Continue in this vein, and the Clave might see fit to remove the ‘Acting’ from your title.”

With those words, she turned around and walked away, leaving Alec staring after her in surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of smart, HOI Alec in here cause that's my jam.

If Alec had thought his night was hectic, it was nothing compared to his day. There was no chance for him to go and catch some sleep. Not when Jace and Clary came storming into his office not long after Imogen left, the fury on Clary’s face warning Alec that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit. Listening to her list all the reasons she should absolutely get to go see her mother, or how Alec should _bring her back right now_ , started Alec’s headache.

The rest of the day only added to it.

By the time night rolled around, it was taking all Alec’s self-control not to bite someone’s head off—an analogy that was far too realistic at the moment. The fact that Alec hadn’t shifted for quite a while only made the whole situation worse. He could barely keep the growl out of his voice when he explained it all to Magnus during their nightly phone call.

“She’s going to drive me insane, I just know it,” Alec said, leaning back in his office chair and sighing. He had his phone propped up on a little stand Isabelle had gotten for him so that he’d be able to video chat and keep his hands free. On the screen, he could see Magnus in what was clearly his bedroom at the Lair. Not as fancy as his actual bedroom, but still with a style that screamed _Magnus_. Dressed down to silk pajama pants and a matching open robe, he looked amazing, and Alec wanted nothing more than to climb through the phone and curl right up against him.

Even if Magnus was being a little shit with absolutely zero sympathy for Alec right at the moment. In fact, he was grinning as he lounged back against his pillows and sipped off a glass of wine. “She can’t be _that_ bad. It’s only been a day.”

Rolling his head to the side, Alec shot Magnus a dry, flat look. “She spent the first half of the morning fighting with me over her Mom’s presence in Idris, accusing me of separating them and not keeping my promise to keep her safe, and trying to get Jace to side with her and take her to Idris to go after her mother. _Then_ she tried to leave so she could go find her mundane friend that she left at the club last night instead of just, I don’t know, _calling him_.” Alec might’ve lost some of his patience with her at that point and actually snapped at her. To be fair, he’d spent most of the night talking to Imogen, and that was enough to put _anyone_ in a foul mood. “After that, Jace took her to go train for a while, and somehow she came back with _three runes on her_. Because, as Jace said, _she’s a Shadowhunter now, it’s okay_.”

The mockery of Jace’s voice was what finally broke Magnus’ control. He was giggling – actually _giggling_ – and if Alec weren’t so exhausted and frustrated, he would’ve really enjoyed the sound.

“She’s new, darling,” Magnus said once he got his giggles under control. His smile hadn’t faded, though. “You’ll have to cut her a little slack. Her entire world was turned upside-down last night. She doesn’t know anything about Shadowhunter society or its rules.”

Alec sighed heavily. “I know.” He did. He really did. But between his exhaustion, his own worries, and the cocky attitude she had that was far too much like Jace’s, Alec was short on patience. Alec just wanted to keep everyone in his family safe. Clary’s presence here, and her blatant disregard for any authority Alec held, had him worried that he wasn’t going to be able to do that.

He hadn’t realized that he’d closed his eyes until Magnus’ concerned voice had him blinking them open again. “When was the last time you slept, my dear? You’re practically falling asleep in your chair.”

“I’m fine.”

The instinctive response had Magnus raising an eyebrow at him. The concern in his voice was showing through clearly on his face now as he ran his sharp gaze over what bits of Alec he could see. “You’re an exceptionally terrible liar, Alexander.”

Alec made a noise of protest that was somewhere between a scoff and a snort. “I’m a great liar!” He’d spent most of his life lying to people in some form or another!

“Mm. Not exactly a skill one should boast about.”

True. Alec smiled at his phone and got a warm smile in return. The light teasing helped to settle something inside of Alec. It took away a bit of the tension that had been feeding his headache, allowing him to relax a little more into his chair. How it was that Magnus always managed to do that for him was a mystery. Yet Alec was grateful for it – for _him_.

Just as Magnus started to open his mouth to say something, no doubt to tell Alec to go to bed, the phone beeped to signal another call. Alec sat up a little when he saw the name on the screen. “Hang on a second, Magnus, Jace is trying to beep in. Can I call you back?”

“Of course.”

The fact that Magnus didn’t waste time with anything else, just clicked off on his end, made Alec want to kiss him. He promised himself he would later on while he reached out to hit the button to answer Jace’s call. It wasn’t a video, so he hit the speakerphone function so he wouldn’t have to unhook his phone. “Jace, what’s going on?”

There was only a small hesitation. Then Jace sighed, a sound that Alec was far too intimately familiar with as Jace’s _you’re not gonna like this_ sound, and sure enough: “ _Clary’s mundane friend has been kidnapped. By vampires_.”

Everything in Alec went still for one brief moment. Then he was letting out a heavy breath and slumping a little in his seat. _Of course he has._ Because what on earth would anything be _simple_? Since there was just Jace to hear him, Alec let out a low growl while he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do I want to know how you found this out? Because I specifically remember telling you guys that she _wasn’t_ supposed to go hunting her friend down.”

“ _To be fair, she did try calling him first_ ,” Jace said.

“Jace!”

“ _We can argue about this all you want later, Alec. Right now, we need your help to go and get him back_.”

Shock had Alec’s eyes snapping open wide. “Go and… Jace! You cannot _seriously_ be expecting us to just rush into a clear trap just to get her mundane friend back!” Even as Alec said it, he knew the answer. Because _of course_ that was Jace’s plan! He was always the rush-in type, while Alec was the type to stay back and plan. It was one of the reasons Jace liked to say they worked so well together as parabatai. They balanced one another out.

“ _We’re not just gonna let him die there_!” Jace snapped. He took a deep breath, the sound of it clear over the phone, and then blew it back out. When he spoke again, his voice was lower though no less hard. “ _I need your help on this, Alec. I’m going in there with her to get him back. Can I count on you to have my back_?”

The words hit Alec like a blow. He closed his eyes against them, taking a moment to just breathe through it. “I always do.” _But do you have mine?_ It wasn’t something Alec had ever felt the need to question in the past. Not once had he doubted Jace since they’d first bonded. But this—this was beyond their usual unsanctioned missions with demons that Alec could carefully cover up in reports. This was going into the heart of vampire territory in what could be taken as an act of war from either side. The repercussions of this were far bigger than Jace was thinking about.

“ _I know you do_ ,” Jace replied, his voice far lighter than it’d been before.

Rubbing at his face, Alec tried to think fast, something that he’d had to be good at after watching over his siblings for so many years. “How do you know that it’s vamps?” Alec asked. He heard the protesting sound that Jace made, a little exasperated huff, and he matched it with one of his own. “I’m not asking about you sneaking out, Jace. I’m trying to make sure that it’s actually vampires we’re dealing with.”

“ _There was one waiting for us at Clary’s place. He gave us the message from the leader, Camille. She wants to trade the Mundie for the Cup.”_

Oh, this just kept getting better and better. Alec shifted to grab a piece of paper, pen, and his stele. He scrawled a quick note to Isabelle before lighting it and sending it off. “We need a plan. We can’t just act without considering all our options.”

There was muffled noise in the background that Alec was betting was Clary. Whatever she said had Jace sighing again. His voice was harder when he came back on the line. “ _Look, Alec, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a Mundie – that’s a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then be glad we did it._ ”

“Just give me ten minutes to get to you. Can you wait that long?” Alec asked. He was already pushing up from his chair and gathering up his stele and gloves. The door opened, and Isabelle poked her head in, worry clear on her face as she saw Alec gearing up. He gestured her in and to shut the door. “I’ll gather up weapons and get a plan in order by the time we get there.”

_“I knew I could count on you, Alec. We’ll be waiting at Clary’s house. I’ll text you the address.”_

Isabelle waited until Alec had hung up the phone before asking, “What happened?”

“Jace is an idiot,” Alec said immediately. In quick, clipped words, he explained to her what was going on while he pulled on his gloves and jacket.

By the time he was done, the two were moving out of his office. It helped relax Alec just a bit when Isabelle fell easily into step beside him and asked, “What’s the plan?” as they headed out toward the armory. She didn’t start insisting that she knew what to do, or that they should rush over and help. She just trusted that Alec would have some sort of plan in place for them.

“I’m working on it,” was the only answer he could give her, though. For the moment, it was all he had. His mind was too busy racing ahead, trying to do more than just _react_ to this. They needed a plan, and that had always been Alec’s job. More so now since having Magnus in his life. They talked, often, and Magnus had no issue with discussing missions with Alec, helping him see where things had gone wrong and what they might be able to do next time to improve it. Magnus was smart, and he was old, and he’d been through a lot. His insights had helped Alec grow, both as a leader and a tactician.

By the time they reached the armory, Alec had a rudimentary plan in place. One that he needed to speak to Magnus about. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the familiar number. It took just one ring before Magnus’ voice came down the line. “ _Darling, I wasn’t expecting a call back so soon!”_

“I wish I was calling to continue our conversation.”

“ _What happened_?” Magnus asked instantly. The playful edge was gone from his tone, replaced with a much more serious one.

Alec moved to gather up his bow and quiver. He took a moment to count what was in his quiver and to double-check that all the runes on them were active and still in working order. While his hope was to prevent a fight from breaking out that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to be prepared if there was one. “The local vampire clan kidnapped Clary’s mundane friend to try and force her to bargain his life for the Cup. I need to get over there and get this under control before a war breaks out in the Downworld.”

He heard the soft, sucked in breath, and then there was a short pause. “ _What do you need me to do?_ ”

There was just a hint of wariness to those words. Alec paused in what he was doing, deliberately softening his voice. “I’m not asking you to go do anything, Magnus. I wouldn’t do that.” Not after some of the whispered stories Magnus had shared about his history with the current leader of the vampires. There was no way Alec would force Magnus to be around _her_. “What I was hoping was that you might be able to pass word along to someone in there for me without her catching wind of it.”

He didn’t have to wait long for Magnus to realize what he was trying to do here. “ _You want to speak with Raphael. It’s smart – he won’t like this plan – but there’s only so much he’s going to be able to do against the wishes of their Clan leader._ ”

“A little can go a long way. I’d rather try my hand at doing this peacefully than start a war we can’t afford to be in, and one we could’ve avoided.”

“ _I can arrange that. But, Alexander… be careful._ ”

* * *

It took them just a little over the ten minutes Alec had predicted to get to his brother. He and Isabelle found Jace and Clary on the roof of what was apparently Clary’s home. The two were standing side by side, looking like they were quietly arguing about something. Clary’s expression was tight, and Jace had on his soothing face, hands out on either side of him in a gesture of peace. It was the look he wore when he was trying to talk someone down or comfort them.

Jace noticed them first, likely able to feel Alec’s arrival. When he turned toward them, Clary did as well, and her face lit up. “Finally! Can we go now? They’ve already had Simon for who knows how long, they could’ve done anything to him by now!”

Her impatient, demanding tone had Alec leveling her with a sharp look. While it was understandable that she was concerned for her friend – Alec knew he’d be worried too if their roles were reversed – he didn’t take well to anyone taking that tone with him. Especially someone who wasn’t one of his superiors. If anything, _he_ was _her_ superior, and that should’ve earned him a little respect. _Except for the fact that her mother taught her nothing about us._ Still, knowledge of Shadowhunter culture or not, a bit of respect wouldn’t go amiss. Especially toward someone she was expecting to help her.

Before Alec could say any of the sharp words sitting on his tongue, Jace was at Clary’s side, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. “They’re not going to hurt him,” he reassured her. “Right now, they want to leverage him for the Cup. That means they’ve got to keep him alive.”

“And if you want to keep him that way, you need to calm down. Rushing in there is only going to get people killed,” Alec added on. His tone wasn’t anywhere near as friendly as Jace’s had been.

“What’s the plan?” Jace asked. His words cut off Clary, who didn’t look to happy at being reprimanded.

Alec glared at her a moment longer. Then he turned his gaze to Jace. “I asked Magnus to get a message to someone inside the DuMort for me. We’re going to go meet and talk and see if we can’t solve this without starting a war. Now come on.”

He took off, trusting that his sister and parabatai would follow him and that Clary would come along as well. He didn’t bother trying to talk to them as they made their way to the arranged meeting spot. At the moment, Alec was too busy trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. He drew on everything he’d heard from Magnus about Raphael, as well as what little information the Clave had on him. Diplomacy was one of the many things that Alec had been taught growing up. With Magnus’ help, he’d refined some of those skills.

It wasn’t easy. To try and think of the words to use here when part of Alec was demanding that he just go in there and take back what didn’t belong to the vamps. There was even a part of Alec that insisted that one little mundane wasn’t really worth all this. Why should he care about a random person who wasn’t even a Clanmate, or mated to one of his Clan? It wasn’t that Alec wanted to see anyone dead. He just didn’t want to put his own people at risk over this.

Hopefully, if his plan worked right, they’d all be able to walk away from this without anyone getting hurt.

Alec knew that he wouldn’t have been doing this just a few months ago. He would’ve either reported this to the Clave, or he would’ve let himself get sucked into whatever stupid plan Jace had to go get this mundane kid back. Now? Now, he knew better, and he knew they couldn’t afford the potential war this would bring about.

When they arrived in the abandoned building not far from the DuMort, it was no surprise to see that Raphael was already there. Alec smelled him before they’d even gone through the doors. Just as he could smell that no other vamps were there. Vampires had a smell that was unmistakable.

They didn’t have a natural scent like humans did since their bodies were no longer alive. But vampirism had its base in demons, a demonic plague as the Nephilim wrote it, and that showed true in their scent. Though they weren’t half demon like warlocks, there was just enough of it in them to give them a faint hint of Sulphur. Their blood was more potent, too, the metallic scent of it unmistakable and almost tacky on Alec’s tongue.

Raphael watched them calmly as Alec walked in, his siblings and Clary behind him. He kept his spine straight and chin up as Alec walked right up to him. Though he wasn’t quite able to hide his surprise when Alec stuck his hand out as soon as he was close.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Raphael,” Alec said.

Slowly, Raphael reached out, a bemused look on his face as he shook Alec’s hand. “Can’t say I was expecting this. Or what you think will come from it. Camille wants the Cup.”

“She’s not going to get it.” Alec folded his hands behind his back, one hand clasping the other wrist, and met Raphael’s gaze head-on. “The Cup was returned to Clave custody last night. We have no control over where it goes. It’s in the hands of the Clave now.”

It was hard to tell if Raphael was upset or pleased by that. He slid his hands down into his pockets, his whole pose relaxed. “Camille won’t like that.”

That was an understatement. They all knew that. Alec mulled over his choice of words while briefly turning to look back at the trio behind him. “Why don’t you guys go secure the perimeter for us? The last thing we need is anyone sneaking up on us.”

Clary looked ready to protest. This time, Alec really couldn’t blame her. He would’ve wanted to stick around, too, if he were in her shoes. But this was going to be a delicate discussion. One that would go easier if he didn’t have to worry about her saying something at the wrong moment. Glancing at Isabelle, and briefly flicking his eyes to Clary, he saw that his sister at least understood him. She gave a small nod and then gathered Clary, leaving Jace behind to stand at Alec’s back.

Only when the girls were gone did Alec turn back to Raphael. The vampire was waiting, watching him like he was curious to see what it was that Alec was going to do next. _Time to get this started before anyone really does show up and find us here._ With a deep breath, Alec began the speech he’d been planning ever since Jace called him. “Camille isn’t thinking of her Clan right now. She’s only thinking of herself. We both know that this was a grab for power. One that could’ve cost the Night Children everything. If I’d reported this to the Clave right away, it would’ve been grounds for an all-out war between us and you guys.”

“So why didn’t you?” Raphael asked.

“Because another war isn’t what any of us need. Not when we’re already on the brink of a much bigger one. We need to be allying together, not fighting against one another.”

“She won’t ever ally with Shadowhunters. Especially not Magnus’ newest squeeze.”

“I’m not here to offer an alliance to _her_.” Alec watched as Raphael’s eyebrows shot up. He straightened himself up until he was standing at attention, wanting to make sure that Raphael understood just how serious he was right now. This was important. It was the start of something that Alec had been toying with trying to figure out how to do for the past month, ever since he’d gotten so much closer with Magnus. Since he’d started to see more and more what the Downworld was really like. “Camille broke the Accords tonight by kidnapping a mundane. If I reported this to the Clave, we could have a team together with the hour to raid the Hotel DuMort and take her into custody. You know as well as I do that there’d be a lot of lives lost in the effort. Vampire lives.”

There was a whole lot more calculation in Raphael’s eyes now. He was watching Alec without any of the veiled sneers that had been there at the start. “So what do you propose instead?”

“If the Clan were to renounce Camille’s claim on them, leave her as an entity unto herself, we’d have no cause to go after the whole of the Clan. Camille would be considered rogue. Her actions would be her own. With her gone, and the mundane returned to us, it would be easy to make my report look like the Night Children stepped up to help us.”

They both knew the Clave wouldn’t care much about the actions of the vampires, but they wouldn’t look down on them for this. If anything, they’d probably consider it as the vampires playing nice, which was exactly what the Clave wanted, and Alec ‘controlling’ the Downworld. Alec might even get commended for it if they had Raphael report it to Alec, and Alec turned it in.

Raphael's eyes showed that his mind was running along the same lines, his thoughts clear there – _a good sign_ , Alec thought to himself. He didn’t seem offended by the idea, either. He tilted his head to study Alec for a moment. “You’re smarter than I expected a Shadowhunter to be. Magnus must be teaching you well.”

Though Alec could’ve chosen to be offended by that—the implication that he couldn’t do this on his own—he smiled just a little instead. “He is.”

The respect on Raphael’s face grew a little more. At that moment, even before Raphael spoke, Alec knew they had him. It was no surprise when Raphael took a step back, smirking as he inclined his head at Alec. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe I have some personal business to attend to.”

“Of course,” Alec dipped his head in return. A second later, Raphael was gone.

Unfortunately, him leaving coincided with Clary and Isabelle returning, and one look was all it took for Alec to know that Clary wasn’t going to be happy about this. “Where’d he go?” she demanded, hurrying toward them. “What happened?”

With a deep breath and a mental prayer to Raziel for patience, Alec turned around and prepared himself to explain what was going on. He just hoped Clary would be able to keep calm. In quick, easy terms, he explained the deal he’d just struck. “If this works, we’ll get Simon out of there without any bloodshed.”

“So we’re just going to trust that he’ll bring us Simon unharmed?” Clary demanded.

Her suspicion wasn’t entirely unfounded. Were it any other vampire, in any other situation, Alec might’ve been more suspicious, too. But Magnus trusted Raphael. That counted for quite a lot in Alec’s books. Plus, though he couldn’t read Raphael’s scent the way he would a normal human’, it didn’t mean that he read nothing off of him. If his impression of Raphael was right, he’d come through tonight, not just for the sake of his clan but also for the promotion it was going to get him, and maybe even a little bit for Magnus.

Alec kept all those thoughts inside. On the outside, he shrugged. “There’s less chance of that now than if we’d gone racing in there and fought to get him back.”

“When did you start playing politics?” Jace asked him, looking and smelling somewhere between surprised and maybe a little uncomfortable.

His question had Alec raising his eyebrows. Why was it that everyone always seemed so surprised by this? Didn’t they understand what Alec had been taught to prepare himself to take over for his parents one day? “Jace, half of my training was in politics. It’s required when you’re training to be Institute Head. They just expect us to use it with other Institutes, not with Downworlders. But I’ve been thinking lately about trying to reach out to the different Downworlder groups here in New York. The way things are right now, there are things that need to change, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it.”

That second half of that had Isabelle giving him an approving nod and smile. Her scent warmed with pride. “Magnus has been good for you, big brother.”

“He is.” Even if Alec had never understood the Downworlder hate in the past, being with Magnus had taught him to do more than just accept it as another of those human quirks he’d never understand. He’d taught Alec to have the courage to speak up and try and ‘be the change you want to see.’ If it wasn’t for his support, Alec wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to do this. At least not the right way.

“Wait a second,” Clary said, interrupting Alec’s thoughts. When he looked at her, she looked livid once more, hands clenched in fists at her sides. Even her scent was throwing off sharp, jagged spikes. There was a tingle at the edges of it that made the hairs on Alec’s body stand up. Angels, from what Alec understood, were above their emotions, but everything in the history books showed that when they gave in to them, their emotions were strong. Powerful. Clary, with the extra potency of her angel blood, seemed to feel things stronger than most. It showed ow as she glared at him. “You’re telling me this is all some big political move for you? We’re supposed to be here to save Simon!”

“Why can’t we do both?” Alec asked. “I’m not ignoring your friend. I’m just taking advantage of the situation presented to me.” It made sense. They’d get Simon back this way, and Alec was one step closer to making better relations between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders, right at the start of a war when allies were important.

Clary didn’t look like she felt the same way. “I can’t believe this!”

Reaching out to lay a hand on Clary’s arm, keeping her from storming away, Jace gave Alec a considering look. He didn’t seem upset like she was. But he looked less happy about things than he had been before. Like Clary being upset by it somehow made it all _bad._ “Alec, you really trust this guy’s gonna come through for you?”

It was on the tip of Alec’s tongue to ask where these protests had been before. If Jace had a problem with the way Alec did something, he wasn’t usually shy about voicing it. He hadn’t said anything until Clary had got upset.

“Magnus trusts him.” To Alec, that said enough.

The conversation didn’t get the chance to go any further. Alec smelled them coming just seconds before Raphael appeared in the middle of the room holding on to a squirming mundane who was trying his hardest not to throw up or fall over. Raphael let go of the guy the instant that they came to a stop. His eyes found Alec almost immediately. “I thought you’d still be here. Take your mundane and go, and keep your Shadowhunters away from the DuMort tonight.”

Alec inclined his head, and then Raphael was gone just as fast as he’d come.

“Simon!”

Clary’s cry echoed around them just seconds before she launched herself at her friend. She and Simon wrapped around one another, both of them talking at the same time, holding on tightly to one another.

Though Clary might think that Alec was a hardass, he kept quiet now and left the two to their reunion, choosing instead to try and think ahead. Some things had been put in motion now, and he needed to be able to act accordingly. Things that had to be done. Alec had gotten the ball rolling with the vampires, and a few talks with Magnus might get the warlocks on board, which left the wolves next. One of the few groups of Downworlders that Alec actively tried to avoid.

Wolves…weren’t that fond of him. While Alec was pretty good at using his magic to hide his scent and his magic, it seemed like hiding his presence entirely was impossible. Or maybe the wolves just had some sort of instinct that let them know when they were around a predator. Whatever it was, they tended to avoid him, and Alec was never quite sure if it was because of what he was, or because he was a Shadowhunter.

Either way, he needed to figure out how to deal with them next. See about getting them on board. If Alec could get the Downworld and the Shadowhunters to work together, they might just stand a chance against whatever it was that Valentine was planning. The Clan would be safer—all members of it.

As the group made their way back to the Institute, Alec began to plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to lawsofchaos who offered up amazing help beta'ing this chapter. I took most all of her changes, but some of the stuff I didn't, so if there's any errors in here that's definitely on ME. I hope you enjoy this guys!

Dealing with the aftermath of their little mission with Clary had taken up what small free time Alec had planned for his night. Free time that he’d intended on using to go out and transform for a while. Just be _himself_. He’d been hoping that a little time as a dragon would ease the knots that were sitting all along his neck and shoulders, and maybe even clear his head a little bit. Being a dragon always made things so much _clearer_. In his human form Alec felt like he was constantly trying to make himself _be_ human. When he was a dragon, it was so much easier to just forget those things and be _himself_.

Not to mention, it’d probably be a whole hell of a lot easier to think if his whole body wasn’t aching from the fact that he hadn’t transformed in what was starting to become way too long of a time.

By the time Alec got back to the Institute it was far too late to go out and transform for a while. Not unless he was willing to give up on sleep—something he knew he desperately needed.

 _Tomorrow_ , he told himself. _I’ll do it tomorrow night. Everyone can deal without me for a few hours. I’ll just say I went on a patrol or something_. Without Magnus around to visit with, Alec was left with a gap of free time he could fill by taking some time for himself. At least, that was the plan.

Of course, his plan hadn’t taken into account his _mother_ making an appearance first thing in the morning.

Her arrival was the very last thing that Alec needed in his life. As if he wasn’t already dealing with enough, now he had to deal with an unhappy Maryse Lightwood and the complicated feelings her presence brought.

Everything about her had always been complicated for Alec. He loved her—that wasn’t up for debate. Half of him desperately wanted nothing more than to impress his mother. To make her proud. He wanted her to look at him and be happy with the Shadowhunter that he’d become instead of always seeing the dragon he knew she hated.

The other half of him was beyond caring about what she had to say. She wasn’t Clan Leader anymore. Not after she’d left him in charge of this place while her and Robert went off to Idris. This was Alec’s home now – _Alec’s_ Clan. Each and every Shadowhunter here was his to command and his to protect. Even the newest ones he wasn’t all that happy about having.

Sometimes Alec really hated the war between the two parts of himself. Each part always felt like it was vying for dominance. Two completely different sets of beliefs, one that was ingrained and one that had been taught, and he was constantly getting tugged back and forth between the two. Maryse had tried to teach him how to be a better human, how to blend in, but sometimes Alec had to admit he didn’t _understand_ it, didn’t _want_ it.

Luckily, Isabelle and Jace were usually there to help remind him. To tone down some of his sharper edges. He was still considered sarcastic and rude by most. _Salty,_ Isabelle liked to say. _Blunt._ But… he just couldn’t understand everyone’s need to sugarcoat everything. Why bother? What was the point?

It made dealing with Maryse harder with each passing year.

It didn’t help that her visit was half to get a fix on Clary—to take control of that situation and do her own version of damage control—and half on reprimanding Alec for all the unsanctioned missions he’d been allowing lately, and for putting himself in the spotlight, something which she abhorred him doing. Not once did she say anything about the High Inquisitor’s approval of the way he was handling things. Either she didn’t know, or she didn’t care.

He wanted to think it was the first option, but in his heart he knew it was more likely the second. To Maryse, it wouldn’t matter that Alec was actually in good standing with the Clave right now. No matter how happy they were with him for bringing in Jocelyn and Clary, and the Mortal Cup, it wasn’t going to mean anything to Maryse. Not when she would only see it as Alec putting himself and their family at risk of exposure.

None of the good things Alec did would ever be enough to outweigh what she saw as his potential for bad. The shame he risked bringing their family if the truth were ever found out.

* * *

Maryse came in like a hurricane, swooping in and taking over like she’d never been gone. Alec wasn’t the least bit surprised to get his summons to her office just a half an hour after her arrival.

Meetings held in her office like this were always a game of power between them. Alec bowed his head as he always did, and yet each time Maryse acted like he was challenging her. Like she needed to make sure to put him in his place lest he start thinking himself above her. In the past, he hadn’t. She was Clan Leader and Institute Head. Alec wouldn’t have dreamed of challenging her.

Now? Now, he stood there in the center of her office, hands coming together behind his back, chin up and shoulders squared, not even realizing how defiantly he was standing before her. Maryse, who was leaning back against her desk with her arms crossed over her chest, didn’t look impressed.

After a long silence, Maryse let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. “I don’t know what you were thinking, Alec. You know better than anyone just how careful we have to be here. We _must_ stay under the radar of the Clave!”

“I know.”

“I put you in charge despite all the very valid reasons not to because I trusted that you, above anyone else, would ensure this place ran smoothly. You have as many reasons to want this place protected as your father and I!”

It took effort not to wince. Alec had always known that his parents hadn’t really wanted him in charge because of what he was. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to hear it said out loud like that. To actually hear proof that the only reason Alec was in charge here was to protect their secrets. He took the ache from that and let it harden him as he’d learned to do so many years ago. “I understand, and I’ve tried to do everything in my power to keep our secrets safe.”

“By letting the Fairchild girl run unchecked through the Institute?” Maryse demanded. She held up a hand to stop him before he could try and respond. “No, no more. This is too high profile to leave in your hands. If anyone comes to ask questions we need to make sure you’re as far from the center of this as possible.”

 _Somewhere no one can see you._ Like a weapon that was only to be pulled out when it was needed or useful, and then put away again until the next time. It wasn’t the first time Alec had felt like that. Not just with his mother, but with everyone.

When Maryse dismissed him with a wave of her hand, Alec gritted his teeth and bowed his head. Then he took off from his mother’s office, trying with everything he had to keep the angry beast locked inside. His dragon-self was roaring with rage at the idea of Maryse coming back here and trying to take over what was clearly _his_. This was Alec’s house. These were Alec’s people. People he had sworn to look out for and protect. If Maryse thought she was going to come in here and take that away from him…!

Alec was halfway to his office when a fire message came whipping through the air toward his face. He grabbed it before it could hit him. When he looked down and saw the familiar R scrawled across the page, he went still for one second, eyes darting around to make sure no one else was near. Only when he was sure he was alone did he start heading toward his office again, the note tucked into his pocket.

Within minutes he was inside and had up every protection he could think of. Only then did he turn his focus back to the piece of paper.

Alec let himself shift just enough that he could lean in and blow a small stream of blue fire at the paper.

The two fires mixed and mingled until there was a bright flash that rightfully should’ve destroyed the paper between them. Instead, Alec was left with a whole new letter in front of him. One longer than just the small strip had implied. Alec moved to lean against his desk as he let his eyes run over the familiar handwriting.

_A –_

_Your last message brought troubling news indeed, my friend. The kind best discussed face to face. It’s been far too long since we’ve had the chance, and these new facts bring with them the kind of trouble we need to prepare for. Rumors are spreading like wildfire about the return of Jocelyn and Clary Fairchild, and the Cup. The whole of the Downworld knows that Valentine is back. You, as much as any of us if not more are now in danger._

_To that end, I’ve a friend I would like to have meet you. Someone who will be able to look out for you and help in ways that I cannot risk doing. For safety’s sake I cannot list their name. But know I would trust your secrets only with one who has gained my absolute trust._

_Meet me tonight at our place, at our time. If you don’t want my friend to show, let me know. I won’t like it but I’ll understand. Take care._

_\- R_

The bad feeling that had been sitting in Alec’s stomach the past few days only grew heavier. Since his initial panic, he hadn’t allowed himself much of a chance yet to think about how all this might connect to him outside of his annoyance at Clary’s presence in their lives. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about what it might mean for _him_ to have Valentine be alive. This message brought that fear back to the forefront.

Did Valentine remember what he’d done to Maryse all those years ago? Did he know what Alec was? What he’d managed to create with him? And more importantly: what would he do if he did know?

Question after question built up in Alec’s mind. He found himself bending forward, hands clenched to the edge of the desk on either side. His eyes were closed tight, and his breath was heaving in his lungs. Under his hands he felt the wood begin to dent and crack. _Claws_ were pushing their way through. Alec had to fight to not only get his panic under control, but his shift too. His magic.

 _I don’t have time for this._ Alec grabbed hold of his panic as tight as he could. Then he shoved it down in a stranglehold he’d learned how to do at far too young an age. One thing Shadowhunters learned very early on in life was that there wasn’t time for things like panic and fear. There was always a job that needed doing, always something else that was far more important than anyone’s personal fears.

Right now, that job was to watch over his Clan as best as possible without pissing off Maryse any further than she already was.

* * *

Alec’s plan to slip out and meet up with his teacher that night sat in the back of his mind for the rest of the day. He contemplated a half a dozen times just sending a message and insisting that this ‘friend’ stay away. The thought of telling yet another person his secret made Alec’s insides twist together. Especially when he thought about the fact that he’d be telling this total stranger before he told _Magnus_. It wasn’t like he could go hurry and tell Magnus first, either, or even ask Magnus to come with him tonight. Magnus was busy keeping himself and his warlocks safe at the Lair. He couldn’t just slip away, and this wasn’t something Alec could tell him on the phone.

But, every time Alec started to go for pen and paper, he stopped himself. If his teacher trusted this person, trusted them enough to even _suggest_ this, what was the harm in meeting? Especially if it would set his teacher’s mind at ease.

Something inside him must’ve agreed with that plan because his inner dragon gave a contented rumble whenever Alec stopped himself from sending a reply.

None of that prevented Alec from being nervous when it reached that point of the night, though.

Getting his name on an early patrol shift had been ridiculously easy, as was making sure that Isabelle and Jace were there with him, though he could’ve done without Clary’s presence. How on earth Jace had convinced Maryse to let her out with them was a mystery to Alec.

They’d just finished wrapping things up, and it was getting close to the allotted time. Alec caught Isabelle’s eye once they’d finished off the last of the demon nest they’d found and he flicked his gaze over to Clary and then back to her.

Angel bless his sister’s brilliant mind. That single look was all it took for Isabelle to call Clary over and distract her by talking her through standard clean-up procedures. With those two busy it left Alec free to join Jace, who was just far enough away from the others to keep their words private.

Alec didn’t waste any time. “Hey, I need you to do me a favor tonight.”

“What’s up?” Jace looked up immediately, his full attention on Alec, and the bit of irritation that Alec had been feeling with him over his incessant coddling of Clary faded away.

“I need you to cover for me tonight.”

Those words were all it took for Jace to understand. This wasn’t the first time they’d done this and it wouldn’t be the last. Jace looked up at him with clear understanding, and his scent shifted too, edged in something that Alec thought might be guilt.

“Damn, Alec. I forgot about that the other night. I’m so sorry.” The apology fell easily from Jace’s lips the way it didn’t around anyone who wasn’t family. Reaching up, he clapped a hand on Alec’s arm. “You go do what you need to. I’ll make sure no one asks any questions. Do you want me or Izzy to come with you?”

Alec shook his head. “No, you two have Clary to worry about. Make sure she gets back to the Institute safely.”

“You take all the time you need. Call me if you need anything, all right?” Jace asked. He clapped a hand down on Alec’s shoulder, holding on as if to make sure that Alec heard him. When Alec nodded, Jace gave his shoulder another pat before he turned and walked away, heading towards the girls at an angle that allow him to draw their attention to him and firmly away from Alec.

It allowed Alec to neatly slip away into the shadows. Within seconds he was gone.

* * *

Getting to their meeting place was easy. Alec had perfected sneaking there a long time ago after he’d moved his hoard from the old hidden church where he’d once taken Jace. Now all of his precious things were stored away in a hidden away cave up in the Appalachians. Some time, a few carefully done wards, and he was able to not only shield the cave so that no one would ever come close to it—all those who tried found themselves passing right by without ever even thinking about why—he was also able to change the insides around to make it less a cave and more _his_.

Just because Alec was a dragon didn’t mean that he wanted to hide in some dirty, dark, damp cave and stroke his treasure as Jace liked to joke. While he hadn’t done as much as he wanted to with the cave, he’d had time to change it around some over the years. For now it had multiple rooms, even a smaller one for when he wanted to be human, and a perfect hiding spot for whatever treasure he collected at the back behind even more warding.

Alec took advantage of the cloudy night to fly there. It felt good to stretch his wings out and actually fly for the first time in far too long. Though Alec knew it probably wasn’t the _smartest_ plan, despite his confidence in his ability to keep himself from being seen, it felt far too good to give up for an easier method of travel. He _needed_ this. Any risk, no matter how miniscule, was worth it  to feel the stretch of his wings as he flew. Or the cool brush of the wind running over his scales. To feel _free_ for the first time in what had ended up being way, way too long.

The flight left Alec in a pretty good mood by the time he was settled inside his hideaway. Finding the main chamber empty, he kept to his larger form, opting to stay like that at least for the moment. Better to be introduced as a dragon first and get a bit of information on this new person before deciding if it was worth risking letting them know Alec’s human side. Both identities carried their own risk. So for now he stayed as a dragon, sitting down and getting comfortable. Maybe a bit intimidating. He was, after all, quite the impressive size. He’d grown even larger than what he’d been when he’d introduced himself to Jace. Sheer size, plus a little posturing, would definitely make an impressive first impression.

Alec always arrived first to these kinds of meetings. Not just because this was his place and he wanted no one in here alone, but because it was the only way any portals could open up in here. Without Alec there to let them through, no one was able to portal into his space even if they knew where it was.

He’d just barely gotten himself settled in comfortably when he felt the familiar buzz of his wards. Lifting his head, Alec watched as the portal came to life between two pillars. He waited, curious and just a bit anxious.

All of that fell away underneath a wave of pure shock when two people materialized from the portal. Two warlocks.

His teacher, Ragnor Fell, and—

_Magnus._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me?


	5. Chapter 5

Shock had Alec standing completely still as the two warlocks stepped out of the portal. His whole body just _froze_. All he could do was stand there and stare as Ragnor led Magnus through the portal and into Alec’s lair. The portal closed behind them, taking away the flickering blue light it’d brought with it and plunging them into what was no doubt darkness for the warlocks. Though with Alec’s vision, everything was clear as a bell.

He heard Ragnor’s familiar huff and watched him roll his eyes. “One of these days you’re going to remember that not everyone has sight like yours, my dear.” That was all the warning Ragnor gave before he lifted up his hands and spread them out, casting flames to the torches as he went.

Because Alec was still watching so closely, he saw the exact instant that Magnus looked up at him. He could see every single emotion that crossed that familiar face; read all of it playing through his scent. Alec’s ears easily picked up on the barely breathed-out “A _dragon_ ,” that Magnus whispered.

Magnus was staring up at him with a look of such shock and awe. It left Alec with a sick feeling in his stomach. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. This wasn’t how it was all supposed to happen. Alec had been trying to plan how he was going to do this for days now, and _this_ definitely hadn’t been it! He’d thought hard about what he’d say to Magnus. How the hell he’d explain this. Dammit, he’d been planning! A quiet evening in, a careful conversation. A transformation, of course, because seeing was believing. But not… not _this_.

That sick feeling in Alec’s stomach grew when Magnus put one arm in front of himself and executed a beautiful bow. “It is such a great pleasure to meet you.”

“Please, don’t bow.” The words were out before Alec could even think about them. He couldn’t think beyond _Magnus bowing to him_. It was just, it was wrong. It was so wrong.

Magnus might not have recognized the distress in Alec’s tone—or that it was even Alec’s voice at all, what with the way it changed between forms—but Ragnor did. He took a small step forward, his brow furrowing down. “Little one?” His eyes darted to Magnus, then back to Alec, and he said nothing more. What he’d said was enough. In that old nickname, he packed a wealth of concern.

Right then, Alec couldn’t pay any attention to him, though. All his focus was on his boyfriend. A boyfriend who was going to be so very hurt and so very angry here in a moment.

“This wasn’t how I wanted to do this,” Alec said slowly. He drew his wings in and lowered his head slightly to better be able to look at Magnus. There was no doubt in his mind what he needed to do here. The decision to tell Magnus had already been made before this whole situation. This had just pushed the timeline up. “I’m so sorry, Magnus.”

The use of Magnus’ name clearly startled him. Yet Ragnor looked as if he was finally starting to understand. He watched Alec with a sad expression. “Oh, dear. You do love to make a complicated mess of things, don’t you?”

Alec’s only answer was to gather his magic around himself and slowly draw on one of his first skills. He reached with his magic and pulled everything _in_ until the shape of him began to spark and shift, shrinking down smaller and smaller. Focused on changing, Alec still managed to hear the surprised sound that Magnus made, and the soft “ _Oh_ ” when the magic finally faded away and Alec stood, naked, in front of them.

A snap from Ragnor clothed Alec in a pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt.

Alec paid it no mind. All his focus was on Magnus. He watched the shock that passed over his partner’s face, followed quickly by hurt, and even a little bit of anger. “Alexander.”

“This wasn’t how I wanted to do this,” Alec repeated. He reached out, only to end up drawing his arms back in, forcing his hands behind his back. Instinctively, he pushed his body into the pose it knew when facing up to trouble. The one he’d been trained to present. In an instant, he was every inch the soldier reporting to his superiors, waiting to be chastised. Yet at the same time, his eyes never left Magnus’. Alec forced himself to watch the way they shuttered, and he tried not to flinch from how much that _hurt_.

“You’re a dragon,” Magnus said slowly as if testing out the weight of the words on his tongue. “And you…” he turned, looking over to Ragnor. “…you knew about it.”

Ragnor had chosen to step to the side in a way that left him neatly between the two, not on one side or the other. “I did. Ever since he was a baby.”

They were starting the story off in the wrong place. Magnus – Magnus deserved answers. _Real_ answers. To do that, they were going to have to go all the way back to the beginning. Not to just when Ragnor first came around, but to Alec’s birth, and to the events that preceded it. But first, they had to get Magnus to stay around long enough to actually listen to the story. Alec knew his partner well. He knew that Magnus was a lot like him. When they were hurt or scared, they tended to attack and retreat, to throw up walls and lash out until they could get away and go somewhere safe.

Though it was hard to stay in place, Alec resisted the urge to move toward his partner, knowing it wouldn’t be well received right now. He stayed where he was and hoped that Magnus would be able to read the love and sincerity in his eyes. “I was planning on telling you. When I said I was ready to talk, I meant it, Magnus. I was going to tell you.” Pausing, he squeezed one hand around his wrist, trying to use the ache to ground himself. Even so, his voice came out softer than he’d wanted. “Will you listen? Please?”

Whether it was something in Alec’s tone, or on his face, or just something in Magnus that he couldn’t quite help, he nodded, and Alec felt a small bit of his own fears fade away. However, there were some that were still there. Getting Magnus to stay was only the first thing. Now Alec had to explain everything to him and hope that Magnus was still willing to stick around.

* * *

They ended up moving to one of the side chambers where Alec actually had some furniture for them to sit on. He’d brought stuff in here mostly so he could have some space to work with Ragnor in while in human form. They’d used it plenty of times in the past. While Alec was comfortable having Ragnor in his space, it didn’t mean he wanted the man anywhere near his sleeping chambers, or his hoard. So they made this room for them to use and they’d been practicing and talking in there ever since.

In their time together, Ragnor had helped Alec to decorate the space, at least a little. Instead of being a boring stone room, they’d turned it into more of a library with shelves upon shelves full of books, a warm fireplace, comfortable furniture, and tons of rugs.

Magnus looked surprised by the room. Yet, as Alec watched him look around, he could actually see Magnus soften ever-so-slightly. There was a faint smile that was playing on his lips.

Seeing that smile had Alec hoping that maybe Magnus wasn’t too upset with him. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be willing to listen, and he’d understand. After all, when Alec had told him that he had a secret, Magnus had seemed okay with it then. He’d accepted Alec’s promise to tell him later. Would he still accept that now?

While Alec was caught up in his thoughts the two warlocks sat down on the couch, leaving Alec’s favorite chair open for him if he wanted it. At the moment he didn’t think he did. Instead, he opted to pace away toward one bookshelf, putting his back to them for a moment. _No more hiding,_ he told himself. _Time to get this out in the open._

That didn’t mean it was easy. Or that Alec could look at them as he did it. Crossing his arms over his chest, Alec watched the nearby fireplace while fighting to remember the words he’d been planning for days now.

Only, before he even got the chance to speak, Ragnor broke the silence. “You know, I should’ve realized you were the Shadowhunter that Magnus was dating. Though I admit to being a bit offended that I didn’t hear about it from _you_. I’m also a bit disappointed. From what I understand, you’ve been together quite a while, yet you’re still keeping secrets.”

Alec shot a look over at Magnus, who was quietly watching the back and forth between two people who he knew, but who he hadn’t been aware knew _each other_. There was annoyance in his eyes and hurt still there in his scent. It made Alec duck his head down and clasp his hands together tight to avoid fidgeting. His eyes darted toward Ragnor again. “It’s not that simple and you know it. I don’t… it’s not easy to say.”

“And you think it is for us?” Ragnor asked calmly. “You’re not the only one whose heritage would have them hunted, Lightwood.”

“At least you’d have your own kind to fall back on!” Alec snapped.

Their argument was cut off by Magnus. In a sharper, more cutting tone than he’d ever directed toward Alec before, he arched an eyebrow and asked, “Would you two like me to leave you alone to work out your issues?”

Alec closed his eyes to try and hide the emotion he knew would show there. Hearing Magnus talk to him that way _hurt_. Not that Alec didn’t deserve it. _Raziel_ , he knew he did. That didn’t make it any easier to hear, though.  “No. Stay, please.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore the ache in his chest that wasn’t going away. “He’s not entirely wrong. I should’ve said something before. And I… I trust that you won’t go around telling people. You deserve to know the truth. You deserve to know what you’re getting involved with.”

“Who, not what, my dear,” Ragnor corrected gently.

Alec huffed but didn’t argue it. He’d meant what he said.

For the moment he chose to ignore Ragnor. This was something that needed to be said to Magnus. The fact that Ragnor was there didn’t matter. Drawing himself up, Alec looked back at the lit fire and prepared to tell his story for the second time in his life. This was much more terrifying than telling Jace. “When my parents were in the Circle, Valentine convinced my Mom that he’d gotten his hands on some angel blood, and he injected it into her unborn baby. Into me. They didn’t find out until after I was born that it wasn’t angel blood. They thought it was demon blood, that I was a warlock because I was half shifted, so they called in a warlock to consult who helped them figure out what I was.”

“Which, as you’ve probably guessed, was me,” Ragnor chimed in.

Alec snuck a look over at Magus, taking in the surprise on his face before quickly looking away again. So far, Magnus wasn’t fighting him, wasn’t trying to leave. Alec hurried to keep talking so that he could hopefully get everything out before Magnus made any kind of judgment. “Ragnor’s the one who told us what I was, and he’s been my teacher ever since then. He kept me glamoured until I could shift on my own, and he’s helped me out in learning how to deal with all of this, and how to use my magic to keep myself hidden. But, aside from him, the only people that know are family. Just my parents, Jace, and Izzy. No one else. And I know I should’ve told you sooner, Magnus, and I’m sorry, I am. But I just, I can’t… if anyone finds out – if the _Clave_ finds out… and now with Valentine back…”

Alec had to cut off as his breath caught in his chest. He was wheezing, could hear the hoarse sound of it as his lungs fought to draw in a proper breath, yet he couldn’t stop it. Curling his arms in, he turned fully toward the fire, further away from them. The fear that he’d been fighting was trying to grip at his chest with icy claws that stole away his ability to _breathe._

He didn’t hear the sound that Magnus made, but he felt it when Magnus came toward him, closing the distance between them in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Alec had only just started to turn back toward him when Magnus was suddenly right there in front of him, one hand already coming up to curve over the side of Alec’s neck, fingers brushing into his hair, and his other hand was placed palm-flat on Alec’s chest.

“Alexander.” The sound of his name on Magnus’ lips was like a prayer and a benediction all rolled into one. That single word was filled with so much emotion, it would’ve stolen Alec’s breath away if he’d had any to spare. As it was, all he could do was hold still as Magnus stood there in front of him and helped to give Alec something steady to cling to. “You’re all right, darling. You’re going to be all right. Just focus on me, hm? You’re safe. You and your family are both safe. We’re in your hideout with a truly astounding array of wards around us, and Ragnor here to watch our backs. We’re all _safe_.”

They were the right words to say. Between those, Magnus’ touch, and his scent, Alec was able to ground himself enough to start wrestling back his panic.

When Alec got enough of his breath back to find his voice, the first thing he whispered was, “I’m sorry.” The next words came a little easier. A little steadier. “I wanted to tell you. I did. I just…I didn’t know how. It’s not something easy to say.”

The hurt that had been in Magnus’ scent before wasn’t gone, but it was so much less, almost overpowered by something different. A warmer scent, like mulled wine, with a little extra spice to it. He was smiling, even, and seeing that helped to push Alec’s fear down a little further.

Gentle fingers stroked along the side of Alec’s neck. “No, I can’t imagine it is. And, to be fair, you warned me there was something you weren’t ready to talk about yet.”

Alec huffed out a soft breath. He let himself lean in, pressing their foreheads together. It felt easier to speak here while touching Magnus, breathing in the scent of him. “I was scared. I know I shouldn’t have been—you’ve never given me any cause to doubt you. But, I was. Not about what you’d _do_ , but about what you’d _think_.”

“This isn’t going to chase me away from you,” Magnus murmured back to him. Both hands were on Alec’s face now, and he stroked his thumbs over Alec’s cheeks before sliding them back so that his thumbs sat at the hinge of Alec’s jaw, his fingers back in Alec’s hair. “You’re still you, no matter what shape you take. That’s all that matters to me.”

It was a sweet thought. One that Alec wished could be true. But, “I’m not… human, Magnus.”

“Alec…”

“No, listen.” Alec drew himself back just enough that it was easier for him to look Magnus in the eye. He kept his fingers lightly curled over Magnus’ hips in a hold that was comforting to the both of them, yet not restricting. That contact helped Alec to keep talking. “I’m not insulting myself by saying that. I’m just being honest. Even though I spend most of my time human, I’m not, not really. Izzy, Jace, and Ragnor, they’ve all tried to help teach me, and most of the time I’m pretty good at mimicking other people if I get lost. But that’s what it is—a mimicry.”

It meant a lot to Alec that Magnus didn’t immediately try and argue. Nor did he dismiss what Alec said outright. Instead, his expression grew a bit thoughtful for a moment. Alec swore he could see it as Magnus thought back over his memories of them. A second later there was a dawning light of realization that grew in his eyes. “That night in France, when we went out to eat. I thought you were just nervous about eating at an expensive restaurant.”

Thinking of that night had Alec wanting to smile. They’d had such a good time that night. “I was. I’d never been to a place like that before, so I had no idea how to behave. I just...took my cues from you.” Pausing, Alec shrugged, trying to play this off like it was no big deal. “It’s what I’m used to. Some things I can remember and some of them make at least a little bit of sense. It’s just now and then that I slip a little. But, I-I won’t embarrass you in front of other people, I promise. I’ll do my best to be extra careful…”

His rambling promise was cut off when Magnus surged up and kissed him. The kiss was short and hard, just enough to steal Alec’s breath away and break his train of thought.

Which was clearly Magnus’ intention. When they pulled apart he took advantage of Alec’s silence to firmly tell him “I don’t want you to pretend to be anything that you’re not, and you could _never_ embarrass me just by being yourself.” Abruptly, Magnus went stiff in Alec’s hold, and his eyes widened. Alec prepared to pull back only for Magnus to suddenly grip tightly to his hair and hold him in place. His glamour slipped, showing bright cat eyes that were watching Alec intently. “Have you been doing that with me, too? Working to repress your true self to be what you think I want you to be?”

A grimace crossed Alec’s features. “It… sounds worse when you put it like that.”

Those gorgeous eyes held Alec pinned in place. When he spoke, his voice was firm. “That stops now, Alexander. I understand your need to do it in public, and I won’t argue it there. But between us I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t be yourself. I want to know _you_. Not a mask you put on for people.”

“You…you still want me around?”

That soft question seemed to hit Magnus harder than anything else Alec had said so far. He drew back a little like Alec had slapped him, Then that fierce light was back, and the spice in his scent went sharper, edged in a hint of burnt sugar and smoke. “You ridiculous Nephilim.” That said, he tugged Alec into a kiss that sent heat through him and curled his toes.

Their kiss might’ve gone even further if it wasn’t for the fact that they had someone else here in the room with them.

“Are you two quite done?” Ragnor called out, sounding simultaneously bored and disgusted with them. When they broke apart, Magnus actually making a rude gesture as they did, Ragnor snorted at them. “Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting you two. It’s not like we have an extremely dangerous situation we were all meeting about or anything like that. Please, go on trying to swallow one another whole. I’m sure Valentine and his followers will wait till you’re both ready.”

“Well,” Magnus huffed, drawing back just a little without entirely letting go of Alec. “There’s nothing quite like the threat of a genocidal maniac to kill the mood. Thank you, Ragnor.”

Ragnor smirked up at him. “You’re quite welcome, old friend. Although, before we delve into that, there is something else I should probably allow to happen.” He let out a heavy sigh, like the world was just asking so much of him, and turned his gaze to Alec. “Come and greet me properly so we can finally get it out of the way. I can see you twitching every time you catch a whiff of me.”

Trying to ignore the curious look Magnus was giving him, Alec shrugged sheepishly, yet didn’t deny it. His mood was too good to leave room for anything like embarrassment. “Sorry.”

Lazily waving a hand over himself, Ragnor rose to his feet. “Just get it over with.”

For all that Ragnor acted like he hated what was about to happen, Alec knew better. He knew the old man got a kick out of just how thoroughly Alec had honestly claimed him. How he felt the need to reassert that claim each time they saw one another. He wasn’t bothered by it. He, more than anyone else in Alec’s life—more, even, than Isabelle, though only because he had more knowledge on dragons than her—understood Alec and his needs.

That was why he did nothing but smile when Alec came over to him and wrapped him up in a hug. Even when Alec rubbed his cheek against Ragnor’s hair, the man simply pretended to huff at him, yet he let him do it anyway.

From behind Alec came soft laughter. “I’m suddenly seeing things in an entirely new light.” Magnus’ voice turned just a bit teasing. “Have you been scent-marking me, Alexander?”

There was no reason for Alec to hide it anymore, and Magnus didn’t sound _or_ smell annoyed—if anything, his scent was happy with just a hint of pheromones to it—so Alec didn’t bother pretending to be embarrassed by it. He smiled a little as he pulled away from Ragnor, dragging his wrist along the man’s neck as he did just to put one last bit of scent there. When he turned to look fully at Magnus, he smiled. “I like it when you smell like me. I keep myself warded so no one else can scent me in my day to day life, but they can scent something powerful on _you_.” Which was as it should be. Magnus smelled powerful all on his own, but it was right that he also smelled of _Alec_ so that no one would get any ideas.

A thoughtful look crossed Magnus’ face. In the next second, he was chuckling. “That would explain why the wolf pack was so cautious the last time I went to the Hunter’s Moon. Quite a few of them gave me a wide berth.”

Alec shrugged. “Probably. For the most part, no one seems to be able to scent what I am, but I think the wolves either scent something, or their instincts are strong enough to just _sense_ it. They don’t really like to deal with me all that often.”

A sharp smack against his arm had Alec jerking a little and spinning toward Ragnor. The older warlock met him glare for glare. “ _Who_ , not _what_. I _will_ get that through your head one day.” He waited a second as if daring Alec to argue with him. Satisfied when he didn’t, Ragnor gave a nod. “Good. Now, can we please get back on task? There’s quite a lot I want to discuss with the two of you. Knowing now that you’re a couple makes much of it easier. But I’d still like to get it done before anyone notices you two being gone for too long and begins to worry.”

That brought them back to the most important topic at hand. Alec knew that his and Magnus’ discussion wasn’t done; there was undoubtedly so much that his partner wanted to know. But for now they did have serious things to focus on.

Alec tried to join Magnus on the couch, only to get waved off by Ragnor. “Judging by what I can see of your energies, you’ve been transforming far too little lately, Alec. While your larger frame won’t fit in here, your smaller one will, and we can talk just as easily that way.” Without even waiting to see what Alec would say or do, Ragnor turned to Magnus and gave him a long-suffering look. “You’re going to have to keep an eye on that. He’s ridiculous about self-care. He needs to shift frequently. While he can push it to once a month in times of great need, I’ve been trying to convince him for years that once or twice a week would be far better for his health.”

“I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement,” Magnus said easily.

Rolling his eyes, Alec chose to ignore the two for a moment. He still wasn’t comfortable with shifting in front of people. Anymore, it was just Ragnor and Jace that he made the transformation in front of. Even Isabelle usually met up with him after he’d already shifted, or she would distract herself while he did it.

Magnus shamelessly watched every moment of it as Alec called upon the magic that shifted his form. Instead of going to his usual size, he drew on the skill that he’d never quite been able to explain to anyone, nor really understood how it worked, and instead of growing his body _shrank_ until there stood a little black dragon the size of a housecat. Like this, with the firelight over him, the purples and blues in his scales flashed every now and again, echoing the brighter flashes in his eyes.

A jump and a small flap of his wings drew Alec up onto the couch. Like this, some instincts were just so much harder to ignore, and so many concerns that his mind dismissed as _human_ and _ridiculous._ Nothing was stopping him from climbing up onto the back of the couch and walking along until he was near Magnus’ head. There, he nudged at his hair, brushing against it at the same time that he stepped down onto the armrest, letting his body rub against Magnus’ shoulder like a cat as he went.

“You’ll want to invest in stronger shirts. Or spell a protection onto their shoulders. Otherwise, his claws will tear right through that flimsy stuff you so often wear.”

“I’m quite sure we’ll come up with something,” Magnus said easily. He reached up to his shoulder where Alec had lifted his head. Mindful of the four horns, Magnus stroked over the scales on Alec’s head, bringing a happy rumble to his chest. “Later, though. For now, I think you’re right. It’s time we started discussing what we came here for. You told me that you had a friend that needed protection.”

“Yes,” Ragnor agreed immediately. “And I’m sure you can see why. Especially after hearing his story. If Valentine were to find out the truth about Alec…”

“…it’d put him in immense danger, yes.” Sighing just a little, Magnus tilted his head just enough to be able to look down at Alec, who had settled under the petting and was resting his chin on Magnus’ shoulder. “I get the feeling you won’t be persuaded to hide away with me for a while. No?” At the unimpressed glare that Alec shot him, he gave a small, mirthless laugh. “No, I thought not. What plan exactly did either of you have in mind, then?”

“Unlike my protégé, I _am_ going into hiding. Capturing me would be quite the feather in Valentine’s cap, and it is not one I wish to grant him. With that in mind, I wanted someone close who would know the situation and best be able to provide help if necessary. I also wanted to talk about protections, and see about making plans on the off chance that things actually do go wrong…”

It wasn’t a conversation that Alec really wanted to have, but he was smart enough to know that this wasn’t something he could avoid, either. Ragnor was right. They needed plans in place. Not just on how to keep Alec safe, but on what to do if his secret was ever found out. Valentine finding out that his experiments with Alec had worked could spell serious trouble—not just for Alec, but for countless others, if he managed to capture Alec. The things he might do with Alec’s blood…it was a chilling thought.

They needed to be prepared for that. In any way possible.


	6. Chapter 6

Talking about defense plans was usually something that Alec excelled at. He’d been trained for it ever since he was little. Sure, his planning sessions hadn’t usually involved magic like this, though Shadowhunters weren’t afraid of using warlock magic when it suited them. But he’d done enough defensive planning for himself, his lair, and even on how to use his own magic to protect those around him. Following along with Ragnor and Magnus should’ve been easy.

Instead, Alec found himself completely and utterly distracted by Magnus’ presence. Being human for an extended period of time often made Alec forget just how much stronger his senses were in dragon form. Magnus’ scent was so much _stronger_. Pressed up beside his neck the way that Alec was only made it all the easier to get lost in the subtle layers of it. Alec happily closed his eyes and nuzzled gently against Magnus’ neck and the underside of his jawline.

The spicy-sweetness of Magnus’ scent was tantalizing. It was like his skin was infused with some of the scents of his apothecary. There was also the sandalwood from his body wash and deodorant, plus a bit of that man-made smell that came from makeup. But under all that was something that was pure Magnus. A bit spicy, a touch of fire, and burnt sugar, all of those twining together into a scent Alec knew he’d be able to pick out and follow through a crowd.

“Lightwood – are you even listening?”

Annoyance was heavy in Ragnor’s voice, and when Alec poked his head up and took a testing sniff outside of his partner, he caught sight of the scowl being sent his way. “No,” Alec said easily, not the least bit bothered by that scowl. He felt Magnus startle a little at the sound of his voice, but after a quick check to make sure he was okay, Alec dismissed that. He shrugged one wing lazily at Ragnor. “What’s the point? None of what you’re saying so far requires my input.”

“You’re not concerned for your own safety?” Magnus asked, tilting his head to better be able to look over at Alec.

Seeing Magnus twist just to look at him, Alec shifted his weight, carefully bracing his feet on Magnus’ shoulder while trying to keep his claws from tearing through. Then he stretched his long neck out so that his head was up at an easier angle for Magnus to see. “I am,” he finally answered. “You guys weren’t discussing what _I_ should do to keep safe, though. You were planning ward changes at the loft, and protection spells, and all that stuff that doesn’t need my input. Besides, I already know what to do if a Circle member comes after me.”

Just as Alec had known he would, Ragnor let out a long-suffering sigh. He gave Alec the scolding look of someone who had had this argument plenty of times in the past and knew it was pointless, yet still felt the need to keep doing it anyway. “We’ve talked about this, Alec. You cannot simply eat anyone who tries to hunt you. The human part of you knows that.”

That’s what _he_ thought. While the human part of Alec might not _like_ the idea of killing another person, he wouldn’t be a Shadowhunter if he wasn’t capable of accepting that sometimes enemies die. Plus, well, Alec was too much dragon—even in human form—to feel bad about the idea of killing off someone who was _hunting_ _him_.

A sound came from Magnus that might’ve been a laugh, though it was smothered rather quickly. His real eyes were still showing when Alec turned to look at him again, and they were sparking mischievously. “I can’t imagine Circle members would taste all that good, darling. We wouldn’t want to upset your digestion.”

Ragnor made a low sound of annoyed disgust. “Do not encourage him.” However, there was no heat behind his words. He knew well enough that they were likely falling on deaf ears.

“What? You can’t honestly say the thought isn’t just the slightest bit tempting.”

“It’s not like I’m going to actively go hunt them down,” Alec felt the need to point out. He didn’t quite get why this was such a big deal. It wasn’t like some of the protective things that Magnus and Ragnor had been talking about were all that friendly. Some of them were deadly, too. But Ragnor always did get squeamish about the idea of Alec hunting anything—animals included.

Magnus lifted a hand and waved it in a sort of ‘ _there—you see?’_ gesture. “Exactly! You can’t expect him not to defend himself if attacked, Ragnor. Far better to suffer a bit of indigestion than to be taken to Valentine, wouldn’t you agree?”

There was no telling how long that argument could’ve gone on for. Ragnor was clearly getting a little frazzled, while Magnus was just as clearly enjoying himself, two things which promised to turn the conversation into quite the show. However, just as Ragnor opened his mouth to argue, a fire note came whipping through the air.

It came straight to Alec, who lifted his front foot and caught it easily between two claws. One look at the words written on the piece of paper, and he growled. “ _Raziel dammit_ ,” he swore under his breath.

“Alexander?”

“That girl and her mundane are going to drive me _insane_.” Agitation sent a shiver down Alec’s spine. He dropped the paper and carefully jumped down to the ground. As he went, he was already calling on his magic, letting his body shift back into his human form though it went against the grain to do it when those he loved were in danger. The dragon part of him wanted to go and rescue them now. He only managed to shift by reminding himself that he could protect them like this, too, and much safer.

Alec used his magic to call up his usual Shadowhunter uniform, as well as his weapons. As he did, he quickly explained what had been in that note. “Apparently the mundane decided he wanted to leave, and Clary couldn’t let him, so she followed after him. Isabelle says she followed them in just enough time to see the two get kidnapped. They’ve been taken to the Jade Wolf.”

“Werewolf territory,” Magnus murmured.

Alec nodded his head. “Yeah. Her and Jace are already on their way there to go and rescue them. Knowing Jace, he probably didn’t even pause to let Izzy send the note. I need to get down there before those idiots get themselves killed and start some serious trouble between Shadowhunters and the werewolf pack.”

How the hell was it they kept getting into these kinds of situations? It’d been vampires not that long ago, and for the mundane that time, too! How did this kid survive this long if he was always getting kidnapped like this? Alec was going to have to put protective wards on him just for his own peace of mind. And Clary, too! Simon might be the one always getting into trouble, but Clary seemed to continually be racing after him to save him no matter the risk it put her or anyone else in.

His and Magnus’ thoughts seemed to be running parallel to one another. “The boy’s been kidnapped _again_?” Magnus asked, pushing up to his feet.

Pulling his bow on, and adjusting the strap for his quiver, Alec nodded again. The disgusted look on his face made his opinion clear on _that_ , though he tried to keep it out of his voice. At least a little. “Yeah. Word’s spread fast about Clary and Jocelyn being back, but I get the feeling talk of the Cup hasn’t moved as quickly. It’s the only reason I can think of that the wolves would take those two. Once we get them back, I need to figure out a way to start spreading the word around about the Clave having the Cup without opening them up for an attack in an attempt to steal it.”

“Leave that to me,” Ragnor interrupted, abruptly reminding Alec that he was still there. He’d been quiet while Alec was getting ready. But now he was standing up from the couch, looking as calm and collected as if they were standing around getting ready to go for drinks. “A few words in the right ears and I can have word spread through most of the Downworld by tomorrow night that the Cup has been turned in to Shadowhunters, and they’ve moved it to a secret location. One they aren’t even trusting warlocks to ward. That should draw the focus away from the Fairchild girl and her mother as well as make sure no warlocks are taken in for questioning.”

That was a solid idea. Ragnor was someone Alec knew he could trust. He wouldn’t say he could do something if he didn’t believe that he could. “Good. Thank you, Ragnor.”

“I’m coming with you,” Magnus said abruptly, hooking his hands in his pockets as he watched Alec. At the surprised look both Alec and Ragnor shot him, he smirked, just a little. “What? I couldn’t go with you the last time they caused trouble, but there’s no reason I can’t this time. You’ll stand a much better chance of keeping this peaceful if I’m there to help mediate. The Alpha may not like me, but he respects my position.”

Taking Magnus with him into a potentially volatile situation wasn’t exactly Alec’s idea of a good time. However, he couldn’t deny that there was a part of him that wanted to give a happy rumble at the thought of seeing his mate in action. At having a mate powerful enough to be labeled a _threat_. Enough of one that even the werewolf Alpha had to show him respect. Alec didn’t need to be bigger and stronger than his mate. He didn’t have some stupid need to be the most powerful in their relationship. The fact that Magnus likely could easily keep up with him, that he was so damn _strong_ , was an amazing turn on.

He didn’t realize how much of that must’ve been showing on his face. Not until Ragnor groaned out a low “Oh, _hell_ , you two are going to be insufferable while in your honeymoon phase.” Ragnor shook his head as he let out a gusty sigh. “I’m suddenly quite glad I’m going into hiding.”

“You’re going to miss us, admit it,” Magnus said cheerfully.

The dry look Ragnor gave him only served to make Magnus laugh.

There were about a million different things that Alec wanted to say to his teacher at that moment. Only, they all knew they didn’t have the time. He had to settle for extending both a hand and his magic toward him. He and Ragnor clasped forearms while their magic mingled together around their hands. “Be safe. Send a message if you need me,” Alec said.

Ragnor nodded, his eyes serious. “You as well, little one.”

And that was it. That was all they had time for. The two let go so that Ragnor and Magnus could share a quick hug goodbye while Alec adjusted his wards enough to allow both Magnus and Ragnor to create portals out of there. Ragnor left through his, and Magnus held out a hand to Alec, waiting for him before they stepped through theirs.

The two of them joined hands, fingers slotting easily together, and Alec took comfort from the fact that Magnus honestly didn’t seem that upset with him. He was smiling at Alec and holding onto him just the same as he had before. He wasn’t shying away from him. For now, though they still had much to talk about later, it seemed like Magnus was still happy to be here with him and to stand at his side.

Alec took strength from that as they stepped through the portal.

* * *

They arrived outside the Jade Wolf ready for just about any kind of trouble they might come across. Alec’s whole body was braced to start reacting in an instant as soon as they landed. Unfortunately, it looked like they’d arrived just minutes too late. Whatever fight had happened was clearly already over. Werewolves all around the Jade Wolf were in human form and down on one knee. They were bowing to a dark-skinned man being held up by Jace and Clary, with Isabelle and Simon standing close by.

A quick scan showed that the dark-skinned man was the only one with injuries. The others all seemed healthy and safe.

Isabelle lit up at the sight of her brother. A bright “Alec!” was his greeting. It was quite the contrast to the scathing look that Jace sent his way. To Alec’s shock, his parabatai practically growled at him when Alec and Magnus got close. “Took you long enough,” he snapped, shifting his weight better under the other man’s arm.

“I came as soon as I got the message,” Alec said flatly.

Their conversation was cut off when the man suddenly started to growl. His eyes were glowing as they latched on Alec, and there was threat clear enough in that look and his growl to have Alec fighting off instincts that demanded he growl right back.

Clary looked up at the man in confusion, one hand going to his chest. “Luke?”

The guy, Luke, didn’t look at her. His green eyes were still locked right on Alec, and his growl grew louder. It was suddenly being echoed by every other wolf around them. Alec’s whole body tensed under the threat that he could feel building. He had to fight to keep his own eyes from flashing, or from giving off a warning growl to let this _pup_ know just who was the stronger one here.

“All right, that’s enough of that,” Magnus said abruptly. He took a step forward as if to move between Alec and Luke, and that, the way he so blatantly put himself as shield between Alec and a threat, was enough to finally break through Alec’s control. A growl rumbled through Alec’s chest even as he was using his hold on Magnus’ hand to try and draw him back.

Magnus turned to look at him, surprised for just one brief moment, and then understanding flashed through his eyes. There was a brief look of those gorgeous cat eyes that Alec loved so much. Then they were hidden under a glamour once more. “I’m fine, Alexander,” he murmured, giving Alec’s fingers a squeeze as he did. He didn’t let go as he turned around to look at Luke again. “But you’re not going to be if we don’t get you back to my loft. I’ve got most of what I need there to be able to heal you. We need to move fast, though.”

“Please,” Clary begged. “You have to help him.”

Wasn’t that what Magnus had just said he’d do? Alec shook his head, ignoring Clary to keep his focus on Magnus.

Even though Magnus had just said they needed to hurry, the warlock didn’t move yet, didn’t open up a portal. He looked right at the still-growling Luke, and though Alec couldn’t see his face at this angle, he knew it’d hardened. There was a sharper edge of fire and steel to his scent. “I’m taking you into _my_ territory, Lucian. Make no mistake – you _will_ be respectful, or I’ll give the potion ingredients to Clarissa and send you all on your way.”

Though it looked like it took a herculean effort, the sharpness of Magnus’ words seemed to do the trick in getting Luke to calm down. His growl tapered off, though his eyes stayed green, and he gave a sharp nod. Though it could’ve been less about respect and more about exhaustion. By the time Magnus opened up a portal for them, Jace and Clary were practically dragging Luke through it.

What came next was a flurry of actions that left no real room for any territoriality pissing matches or anything like that. Luke had fought the alpha, they quickly found out, and was now the leader of the pack. But alpha bites were apparently poisonous, and he was struggling to survive against that poison. Alec stared down at him when he found that out and couldn’t quite keep back the sound of disbelief he made. “That makes absolutely no sense,” he said bluntly, looking over to Magnus who was busy mixing a potion together while Jace and Simon went to get the last few ingredients needed. It left Clary and Isabelle there with them to help out in whatever way Magnus needed.

Magnus shot him an amused look over the small cauldron he was using. “What doesn’t, darling?”

“How is the new Alpha supposed to survive if a bite from the previous alpha poisons them?”

“I believe it’s sort of nature’s way of making sure that only the strongest lead. To win against an Alpha without being bitten by them takes both strength and skill. Only those worthy, or those extremely stupid, would dare make a challenge knowing that they might win, but they might also die.”

It still seemed stupid to Alec. But, he let it go with another shake of his head, choosing instead to lean against the wall near the table Magnus was working on. If it just so happened to put him between Luke and Magnus, well, that was fine, too.

Clary was kneeling by Luke’s side, wiping his face and murmuring lowly to him, when Isabelle finally sidled up to Alec. She stood beside him, looking him over for a moment. Alec met her look with an arched eyebrow of his own. Isabelle’s grin grew a little at that. She flicked her eyes over to Magnus, sweeping over him as well, and then she was beaming at Alec. “You told him.”

How on earth it was she always figured these things out was something of a mystery to Alec. One that he’d learned a long time ago to stop trying to figure out. He just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

That was all the confirmation Isabelle needed. The way she smiled at him as she punched his arm was beyond thrilled. “It’s about time! I _told you_ that you didn’t have anything to worry about!”

“Do you mind not sharing my business with _everyone_?” Alec asked flatly. He deliberately looked over at the two by the couch and then back to Isabelle.

She barely even faltered at the reminder. One hand came up so that she could point right at his face. “Don’t think you’re getting out of talking about this. You’re telling me everything later, _hermano_.”

They didn’t have any time after that. The potion was almost done except for the final ingredients, and Magnus’ magic was barely keeping Luke alive. It took his and Magnus’ both—“I need your strength,” Magnus had said, and Alec didn’t hesitate to kneel and offer it up—to keep Luke alive long enough for Jace and Simon to return with the needed ingredients so that Clary could finish the potion.

Honestly, by the time it was all said and done, Alec was more than ready to just grab Magnus and drag him away from everyone. It’d been a long night; one that wasn’t promising to get any shorter. Especially since Alec knew tomorrow was going to involve dealing with his mother and whatever else she was going to try and throw at him. Her comments earlier had left Alec with a sour feeling in his stomach. She was planning something—some way to get Alec out of the spotlight. Her fear of him being discovered was way too strong. She wasn’t going to let him keep making waves the way he had been.

What that would mean for him, he wasn’t sure. Just that it wasn’t going to be good. For all that his mother loved him, a fact that Alec didn’t doubt, she was too ruled by fear. Fear for him, fear for herself, fear for their family. Fear of what the Clave might do to them. She and Robert were so very loyal to the Clave. As if being loyal to the point of fanaticism might somehow erase their past mistakes.

Thinking of all that was enough to remind Alec that they should probably get back to the Institute before Maryse noticed they were gone. Especially Clary. She’d wanted her stuck at the Institute for now until she was trained and properly assessed. Running around like this was only going to make things worse. Yet, at the same time, Alec didn’t want to go. What waited for him there? Maryse was taking back control of the Institute with her return. Alec wasn’t in charge. And Magnus was _here_ , able to be seen and touched and scented for the first time in way too long. Not only was he here with Alec, but he’d also actually stuck around Alec after everything earlier.

Alec’s stream of thoughts was cut off by two warm hands cupping his cheeks. He looked down to find that Magnus had moved right up against him. His warlock was watching him with a fond, warm smile, and a gentle look on his face. “You look dead on your feet, darling. Why don’t you come to bed?”

“I should…” Alec began, only to get cut off by Isabelle saying, “Go sleep with your boyfriend and leave the Institute and Mom to me? Yeah, you should, big brother. Good idea. I can handle them as well as getting Clary and Jace back. You guys have a quiet night here.”

Magnus leaned in enough to hide his amused sound against Alec’s jacket. Alec had no such need to hide. He gave Isabelle a thoroughly unimpressed look, which she returned with a bright grin.

“Wait,” Clary interrupted, finally looking up from Luke at the mention of her name. She looked back and forth between Isabelle and Alec, and then over to Jace, who was standing near Luke’s feet. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here with Luke.”

“No, you’re not,” Alec said. Her eyes flashed to him and she opened her mouth, ready to argue. He just beat her to it. “This isn’t up for debate. I get that you’re worried about him, but he’s fine now. Magnus said he needs to rest. There’s nothing you could do here except sit and stare at him while he sleeps. Meanwhile, you weren’t even supposed to leave the Institute, and your best bet at getting back in unnoticed is going to be Izzy. So go with her, and you work out something to come visit tomorrow once Luke’s awake.”

Clary glared even harder at him as she pushed up to her feet. “Now wait just a minute. I don’t care who you are – you don’t get to just order me around!”

“Actually, he does,” Isabelle interjected. “Until Mom officially takes her title back, Alec’s acting Head of the Institute. The minute you got runed, you became his responsibility. And while my brother might be a bit blunt, or rude, he’s not wrong. We need to get you back.”

They might’ve had an even bigger argument on their hands if Jace hadn’t stepped up. He went to Clary’s side and put one hand on her shoulder. “Hey. Luke’s gonna be asleep. He won’t even have a chance to notice you’re gone. Plus, if anything happens I’m sure they’ll call us.”

“Of course,” Magnus agreed easily.

After that, it only took a few more minutes and just a little more coaxing for Jace and Isabelle to get Clary out of the loft. However, that still left one person present in the loft with them, and that person just so happened to be an alpha werewolf who was slowly gaining a newer, stronger scent to match his pack rank. One that was gradually filling the living room of Magnus’ loft.

Alec didn’t even realize he was scowling over it until Magnus kissed him. When his mate pulled back, he was grinning up at Alec. “You glare any harder at Lucian and he might burst into flames, _sayang_.”

Because it was Magnus, Alec didn’t bother holding back the urge to roll his eyes. “I can breathe fire, Magnus, not glare it.”

The delighted laughter that Magnus let free had Alec smiling. Raziel, he loved that sound! He loved being able to make Magnus laugh like that. More than all that, though, Alec loved the ability to make that kind of joke. Having Magnus know the truth about him felt like a huge weight had been taken off of Alec’s shoulders. Like he could finally breathe again. He didn’t have to hide anymore. He could make jokes, or let Magnus know when something like having someone else’s scent in here was bothering him, or maybe even scent mark Magnus a little stronger just to combat the smell that was trying to take over in here.

When Magnus looked at him again, there was so much open love and affection in his eyes. He’d dropped his glamour; there was no one else in here but Luke, and Luke wasn’t awake to notice. “Why don’t I get Luke settled into a guest room, and then maybe you and I can have a drink before bed. You do look tired, my dear.”

“It’s been a long day,” Alec said softly. Which wasn’t a lie. It had been a long day, and Isabelle’s suggestion of going to go sleep with his boyfriend sounded pretty damn good.

Abruptly, Alec realized that he didn’t have to let go of Magnus. Like he’d just been thinking, he was free here. He didn’t have to hide. That meant that Alec was free to keep one arm around Magnus and lift the other one, waving a hand Luke’s direction. There was no fancy snap like what Magnus did. No show of any sparks or pretty light. Just one sweep of his hand to help direct things, a little push of magic, and Luke was moved into the guest room bed. Any mess that had been left behind was cleaned up as well. Alec wasn’t going to have the guy’s blood stinking the place up any further.

A deep breath had Alec relaxing. _Perfect_. Now the place didn’t smell as strongly of alpha-wolf.

He turned his face back to Magnus only to find that the warlock was blinking up at him with a slightly dazed look on his face. There was a hint of something in the air…Alec took a testing sniff, eyebrows going up when he caught a stronger whiff of cinnamon and pine. Alec blinked a few times as his brain tried to compute that. “Are you…?”

“Incredibly turned on by a display of raw power?” Magnus finished for him. His voice was just a hint huskier than normal.

Alec worked to swallow down the sudden lump in his throat. “Yes.”

The smirk Magnus wore was almost a _leer_. He pressed in closer, arms around Alec’s neck, body against body. “Oh yes. While I’ve been with other warlocks, I confess, I’ve never been with someone who seems to have the potential to match me in power. I’m finding I quite like it.”

That was, it was, well, Alec didn’t quite have the words for it. Not that he really needed them. Magnus pulled him down for a kiss and Alec gave up on finding words for a little bit. He just lost himself in the taste and feel of everything _Magnus_. Everything else fell away under the sense of having the one that the dragon in him labeled as _mate_ happy and safe in his arms.

When the two of them finally broke apart they were both breathing harder. Yet, despite the fact that he could have, Magnus didn’t push their kiss any further, though the scent of his arousal was still strong. He just smiled up at Alec with that way of his that always made Alec feel like he was the only person in the world. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. You can tell me all about what made your day such a long one.”

Alec let himself get tugged back toward the bedroom, wondering to himself as he went how it was that he’d managed to be lucky enough to find someone this amazing to share his life with. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve Magnus Bane, but he knew one thing: there was no way in Heaven or Hell he was going to let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments and support and kudos! Let me know what you'd like to see next :) I'm not after retelling the entire series in one giant story because I doubt anyone would want to read episode repeats. But I'm open to a whole lot, so don't be afraid to ask!


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